title: Electrical stimulation influences satellite cell differentiation after sciatic nerve crush injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrical stimulation is often used to prevent muscle atrophy and preserve contractile function, but its effects on the satellite cell population after nerve injury are not well understood. In this study we aimed to determine whether satellite cell differentiation is affected by electrical stimulation after nerve crush.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sciatic nerves of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were crushed. Half of the injured rats received daily electrical stimulation of the gastrocnemius muscle, and the others did not. Tests for detecting paired box protein 7 (Pax7), myogenic differentiation antigen (MyoD), embryonic myosin heavy chain (eMyHC), and force production were performed 2, 4, and 6 weeks after injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More Pax7+/MyoD+ nuclei in stimulated muscles were observed than in non-stimulated muscles. eMyHC expression was elevated in stimulated muscles and correlated positively with enhanced force production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased satellite cell differentiation is correlated with preserved muscle function in response to electrical stimulation after nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Beijing, 100191, PR China.
authors.forename: Huayi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Mouwang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Assinck
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009409:Nerve Crush / Q000379:methods; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D032496:Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle / Q000378:metabolism*; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: electrical stimulation; muscle atrophy; muscle transcription factor; peripheral nerve injury; skeletal muscle satellite cells