title: Electric stimulation at 448 kHz promotes proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Capacitive-resistive electric transfer (CRET) is a non invasive electrothermal therapy that applies electric currents within the 400 kHz - 450 kHz frequency range to the treatment of musculoskeletal lesions. Evidence exists that electric currents and electric or magnetic fields can influence proliferative and/or differentiating processes involved in tissue regeneration. This work investigates proliferative responses potentially underlying CRET effects on tissue repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  XTT assay, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and Western Blot analyses were conducted to asses viability, proliferation and differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) from healthy donors, after short, repeated (5 m On/4 h Off) in vitro stimulation with a 448-kHz electric signal currently used in CRET therapy, applied at a subthermal dose of 50 μA/mm(2) RESULTS: The treatment induced PCNA and ERK1/2 upregulation, together with significant increases in the fractions of ADSC undergoing cycle phases S, G2 and M, and enhanced cell proliferation rate. This proliferative effect did not compromise the multipotential ability of ADSC for subsequent adipogenic, chondrogenic or osteogenic differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data identify cellular and molecular phenomena potentially underlying the response to CRET and indicate that CRET-induced lesion repair could be mediated by stimulation of the proliferation of stem cells present in the injured tissues.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Investigación-BEM, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal - IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hernández-Bule
authors.forename: Carlos Luis
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Paíno
authors.forename: María Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Trillo
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Úbeda
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004560:Electricity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology