title: Effects of high-tone external muscle stimulation on renal function in healthy volunteers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hightone external muscle stimulation (HTEMS) ameliorates pain and discomfort of patients with polyneuropathy. Since some patients reported about an urge to urinate during these treatments, the potential effects of HTEMS application on renal function were investigated. For this purpose in healthy subjects, we analyzed in the current study the acute effects of electrotherapy on parameters of renal function.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 healthy volunteers (14 women and 10 men), mean age 26 ± 4 years, were enrolled. The protocol was composed of a run-in period, a pre-treatment period, the active HTEMS treatment period of both lower extremities and the post-treatment period. The duration of each period was 60 min. Urine collection and blood samples were taken at the beginning and end of each period. To achieve a sufficient diuresis, the fluid intake was adapted to the amount of diuresis. Parameters of renal function included diuresis, glomerular filtration rate (endogenous creatinine clearance) and absolute and fractional sodium excretion. Moreover blood pressure and heart rate were monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HTEMS led to a significant increase of creatinine clearance and fractional sodium excretion which was limited to the active treatment period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show for the first time that HTEMS can transiently increase glomerular filtration rate associated with a decreased tubular sodium reabsorption. The underlying mechanisms are to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol,  Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peckova
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Havlin
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charvat
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horackova
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schück
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004231:Diuresis / Q000502:physiology; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium