title: Stimulation of regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve by 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic fields.
abstract: The effect of sinusoidal magnetic field stimulation on regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve was studied. Rats were exposed, after crush lesioning of the nerve, between a pair of Helmholtz coils to a 50 Hz magnetic field of 0.2 mT or 0.4 mT, respectively. Regeneration of the sciatic nerve was measured by the "pinch test," or by immunocytochemical staining for neurofilaments 1 to 6 days after the crush lesion. Intermittent stimulation (4 h/day) at 0.2 mT did not affect regeneration, while continuous stimulation with the same field enhanced regeneration distances measured at Days 1, 2, and 3. Intermittent stimulation with 0.4 mT increased regeneration distances in 3-day regenerated nerves. In the rats exposed continuously to 0.4 mT regeneration was higher in all groups (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 days). This field enhanced the regeneration velocity by 21%. Pretreatment for 7 days with continuous stimulation either at 0.2 mT or at 0.4 mT did not affect regeneration of the sciatic nerve after a crush lesion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoophysiology, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rusovan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanje
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005260:Female; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000528:radiation effects*; D051381:Rats; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects