Electrical stimulation prevents deterioration of the oxidative capacity of disuse-atrophied muscles in rats.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation on disuse-atrophied muscles.


METHODS
Sprague-Dawley rats were used and divided into three groups: control (C), hind-limb suspended for 7 d (HS), and HS plus transcutaneous electrical stimulation for 7 d (ES). In the ES group, transcutaneous electrical stimulation was induced at 1 Hz for 1 h every day to condition the gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus muscles. Muscle oxidative capacity was evaluated by 31P-MRS in vivo. Maximum tension and muscle wet mass were also measured.


RESULTS
Muscle oxidative capacity decreased within 1 wk in HS; however, it was maintained when electric stimulation was applied to the suspended limb. The maximum twitch tension in HS was significantly smaller than that in C (p < 0.05), while in ES it did not differ from that in C. The muscle mass was significantly smaller in the HS and ES groups compared to C (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicated that twitch electrical stimulation was effective in preventing deterioration of muscle functions, such as maximum tension and oxidative capacity, induced by 1 wk of disuse.
Yoshida
Naoyuki
N
Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan.
Sairyo
Koichi
K
Sasa
Takahiro
T
Fukunaga
Mari
M
Koga
Keiko
K
Ikata
Takaaki
T
Yasui
Natsuo
N
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D020966:Muscular Disorders, Atrophic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000662:veterinary; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013026:Space Flight