Yu-Ching Lin1, Chia-Hong Kao2, Yu-Kai Cheng3, Jia-Jin J Chen4, Chun-Hsu Yao5, Yueh-Sheng Chen5. 1. Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. 2. Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Division of Neurosurgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. 4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. 5. Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University, Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To study if electrical stimulation (ES) can be a useful tool to improve functional recovery after neuronal injury in the peripheral nervous system. METHODS: We studied the effects of 2 Hz of percutaneous ES at different intensities of 1, 10 and 20 mA on peripheral nerve regeneration in rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin. Non-stimulated diabetic rats were used as the sham-controls. A10-mm gap was made in the rat sciatic nerve by suturing the stumps into silicone rubber tubes and stimulation was carried out every other day for 3 weeks starting 1 week after surgery. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of recovery, the diabetic rats showed that ES of 1 mA or above could increase the cutaneous blood flow in their ipsilateral hindpaw to the injury. ES of 10 mA could improve the amplitude and the area of evoked muscle action potentials with faster target muscle reinnervation. ES of 10 mA could also ameliorate the calcitonin gene-related peptide expression in lamina I-II regions in the dorsal horn ipsilateral to the injury and the number of macrophages in the diabetic distal sciatic nerve. The impaired growth and maturation of regenerating axons in diabetic rat could be improved by ES of 10 mA or above. CONCLUSIONS: All these results lead to the conclusion that ES of 10 mA or above might be necessary to improve regeneration after a dissect lesion of the sciatic nerve in the diabetic rat.
PURPOSE: To study if electrical stimulation (ES) can be a useful tool to improve functional recovery after neuronal injury in the peripheral nervous system. METHODS: We studied the effects of 2 Hz of percutaneous ES at different intensities of 1, 10 and 20 mA on peripheral nerve regeneration in rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin. Non-stimulated diabeticrats were used as the sham-controls. A10-mm gap was made in the rat sciatic nerve by suturing the stumps into siliconerubber tubes and stimulation was carried out every other day for 3 weeks starting 1 week after surgery. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of recovery, the diabeticrats showed that ES of 1 mA or above could increase the cutaneous blood flow in their ipsilateral hindpaw to the injury. ES of 10 mA could improve the amplitude and the area of evoked muscle action potentials with faster target muscle reinnervation. ES of 10 mA could also ameliorate the calcitonin gene-related peptide expression in lamina I-II regions in the dorsal horn ipsilateral to the injury and the number of macrophages in the diabetic distal sciatic nerve. The impaired growth and maturation of regenerating axons in diabeticrat could be improved by ES of 10 mA or above. CONCLUSIONS: All these results lead to the conclusion that ES of 10 mA or above might be necessary to improve regeneration after a dissect lesion of the sciatic nerve in the diabeticrat.
Entities:
Keywords:
Electrical stimulation; current intensity; diabetes; peripheral nerve regeneration