Electrical stimulation prevents apoptosis in denervated skeletal muscle.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that electrical stimulation regulates the levels of gene expression related to apoptosis in denervated muscle and prevents muscle atrophy after denervation.Nineteen rats were used in this study. To denervate soleus muscle, sciatic nerve was resected under aseptic condition. Electrical stimulation with 4 mA rectangular pulses of 0.5 ms duration at 2 Hz lasting for 1 hour was delivered to lower limb including the soleus muscle using two surface electrodes. After the stimulation periods of 4 weeks, the levels of gene expression related to apoptosis were evaluated. Electrical stimulation increased valosin-containing protein (VCP) expression and decreased cleaved caspase-12 expression in denervated muscles. These results indicated that electrical stimulation to denervated muscle suppresses ER-specific apoptosis by enhancing VCP expression. We proposed that electrical stimulation would be a potential treatment for preventing atrophy of denervated skeletal muscles.
Arakawa
Takuya
T
Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical College, Midorigaoka Higashi, Asahikawa, Japan.
Katada
Akihiro
A
Shigyo
Hiroshi
H
Kishibe
Kan
K
Adachi
Masaaki
M
Nonaka
Satoshi
S
Harabuchi
Yasuaki
Y
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053454:Caspase 12 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009121:Muscle Denervation / Q000379:methods / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000074405:Valosin Containing Protein
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D053454:Caspase 12; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000074405:Valosin Containing Protein; C000614180:Vcp protein, rat