title: Use of electrical stimulation at different current levels to promote recovery after peripheral nerve injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrical stimulation of damaged peripheral nerve may aid regeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10-mm gap was made in rat sciatic nerve by suturing the stumps into silicone rubber tubes. A control group received no stimulation. To determine whether 2 Hz of percutaneous electrical stimulation at 1 mA, 2 mA, or 4 mA augments regeneration between the proximal and distal nerve stumps.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The groups receiving electrical treatment had larger mean values of axon number, endoneurial area, total nerve area, blood vessel number, and blood vessel area compared with the controls. In addition, the group receiving electrical stimulation, especially at 1 mA had significantly shorter latency, larger amplitude, larger area of the evoked muscle action potentials and faster conduction velocity compared with the controls. However, electrical stimulation at 4 mA provoked adverse responses to the function recovery of regenerated nerves in the kinematic gait analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Indeed, the electrical stimulation appears to have a detrimental effect on the regeneration process. It could promote the growth of regenerating nerves; however, excessive direct current could be repulsive to regrowing fibers. This reveals the importance for physical therapists using safe stimulus protocols for rehabilitation purposes.
authors.affiliation: School of Post Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chin-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Shih-Che
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fuu-Jen
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chun-Hsu
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Yueh-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005684:Gait; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley