Male Wistar rats were allocated in four groups: control, passive recovery (PR), cryotherapy (Cryo), and LED therapy. The animals were submitted to 45 min of swimming exercise followed by 25 min of recovery and then a second bout of either 45 min of exercise (muscle damage analysis) or time to exhaustion (performance). During the rest intervals, the rats were kept in passive rest (PR), submitted to selleck products cold water immersion (10 min, 10 A degrees C) or LED therapy (940 nm, 4 J/cm(2)) of the gastrocnemius muscle. Blood samples were collected to analyze creatine kinase activity (CK), C-reactive protein (CRP), and leukocyte counts. The soleus muscles were evaluated histologically.

Time to exhaustion was recorded during the second bout of exercise. After a second bout of 45 min, the results demonstrated leukocytosis in the PR and Cryo

groups. Neutrophil counts were increased in all test groups. CK levels were increased in the Cryo group. CRP was increased in PR animals. The PR screening assay group presented a high frequency of necrosis, but the LED group had fewer necrotic areas. Edema formation was prevented, and fewer areas of inflammatory cells were observed in the LED group. The time to exhaustion was greater in both the LED and Cryo groups, without differences in CK levels. CRP was decreased in LED animals. We conclude that LED therapy and cryotherapy can improve performance, although LED therapy is more efficient in preventing muscle damage and local and systemic inflammation.”
“Objectives: To evaluate the economic effect of a pharmacy benefit expansion on a population of Oklahoma Medicaid recipients and to determine whether recipients selleck inhibitor who routinely maximized their monthly prescription limit (cap) before the benefit expansion benefited more from the expansion than the remainder

of the study population.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Oklahoma Medicaid claims data from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2004.

Patients: Data from 15,936 Oklahoma Medicaid recipients.

Intervention: Retrospective administrative analysis using the Oklahoma Health Care Authority pharmacy and medical claims databases.

Main outcome measures: Total health care expenditures per recipient per year, total medical expenditures per recipient per year, and total pharmacy expenditures per recipient per year.

Results: Total health care expenditures increased 17% after the benefit expansion (P < 0.0001). Of this increase, 65% was attributed to pharmacy expenditures and 35% to medical expenditures. However, a subpopulation of recipients who routinely reached their prescription limit before the expansion had a statistically significant increase in total and pharmacy expenditures; a statistically significant increase in medical expenditures was not observed.