Effects of therapeutic pulsed ultrasound and dimethylsulfoxide phonophoresis on oxidative stress parameters after injury induced by eccentric exercise.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of TPU together with DMSO on oxidative stress parameters after eccentric exercise.
METHODS: Thirty and six animals were divided in control; eccentric exercise (EE); EE+saline gel 0.9%; EE+TPU 0.8 W/cm(2); EE+DMSO gel; EE+TPU+DMSO gel and submitted to one 90-min downhill run (1.0 km h(-1)). TPU was used 2, 12, 24, 46 h after exercise session and 48 h after the animals were killed and the gastrocnemius muscles were surgically removed. Production of superoxide anion, creatine kinase (CK) levels, lipoperoxidation, carbonylation, and antioxidants enzymes were analyzed.
RESULTS: Showed that TPU and gel-DMSO improved muscle healing. Moreover, superoxide anion production, TBARS level and protein carbonyls levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity were all decreased in the group TPU plus gel-DMSO. DISCUSSION: Our results show that DMSO is effective in the reduction of the muscular lesion and in the oxidative stress after eccentric exercise only when used with TPU. Copyright Â