title: Sensorial, structural and functional response of rats subjected to hind limb immobilization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study analyzed the sensorial, structural and functional response of rats subjected to paw immobilization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal pelvis, hip, knee and ankle were immobilized using waterproof tape during two weeks for assessment of sensorial response to thermal (hot plate test) and mechanical stimuli (Von Frey test), motor system structure (histology and radiography) and muscle function (soleus contractility).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Disuse animals became more responsive to thermal stimuli (49%), although less responsive to mechanical challenge (58%). Disuse animals showed local injuries such as reduction in muscle fiber diameter (16.7% in gastrocnemius, 5.7% in soleus), contractile activity (55% of the control maximal tonic contraction) and tibia cortical thickness (9.3%), besides increased nitrite:protein ratio, suggestive of protein degradation. Disuse also evoked systemic adaptations that include increase in serum lactate dehydrogenase (36.1%) and alkaline phosphatase (400%), but reduction in calcium (8.4%) and total serum protein (5.5%), especially albumin (34.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two weeks of functional paw disuse leads to local and systemic harmful adaptive changes in sensorial and structural systems. This study brings new insights into nervous and motor system mechanism associated with therapeutic limb immobilization in muscle and skeletal pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco Fleury Uchôa
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Santos-Júnior
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alana de Freitas
authors.initials: Ade F
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Natália Matos
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Azevedo
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Osório
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Matias
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. Electronic address: vania.ceccatto@uece.br.
authors.forename: Vânia Marilande
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Ceccatto
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Sampaio
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Assreuy
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013977:Tibia / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D009573:Nitrites; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Hot plate; Hypokinesia; Nociception; Skeletal muscle; Von Frey