title: Current-modulated electrical stimulation as a treatment for peripheral nerve regeneration in diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study if electrical stimulation (ES) can be a useful tool to improve functional recovery after neuronal injury in the peripheral nervous system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the effects of 2 Hz of percutaneous ES at different intensities of 1, 10 and 20 mA on peripheral nerve regeneration in rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin. Non-stimulated diabetic rats were used as the sham-controls. A10-mm gap was made in the rat sciatic nerve by suturing the stumps into silicone rubber tubes and stimulation was carried out every other day for 3 weeks starting 1 week after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 4 weeks of recovery, the diabetic rats showed that ES of 1 mA or above could increase the cutaneous blood flow in their ipsilateral hindpaw to the injury. ES of 10 mA could improve the amplitude and the area of evoked muscle action potentials with faster target muscle reinnervation. ES of 10 mA could also ameliorate the calcitonin gene-related peptide expression in lamina I-II regions in the dorsal horn ipsilateral to the injury and the number of macrophages in the diabetic distal sciatic nerve. The impaired growth and maturation of regenerating axons in diabetic rat could be improved by ES of 10 mA or above.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All these results lead to the conclusion that ES of 10 mA or above might be necessary to improve regeneration after a dissect lesion of the sciatic nerve in the diabetic rat.
authors.affiliation: Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Kai
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jia-Jin J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University, Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Hsu
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Lab of Biomaterials, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University, Wufeng District, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yueh-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D049108:Cell Enlargement; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000503:physiopathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D066148:Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Electrical stimulation; current intensity; diabetes; peripheral nerve regeneration