title: Acupuncture plus Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation (Acu-LFES) Attenuates Diabetic Myopathy by Enhancing Muscle Regeneration.
abstract: Mortality and morbidity are increased in patients with muscle atrophy resulting from catabolic diseases such as diabetes. At present there is no pharmacological treatment that successfully reverses muscle wasting from catabolic conditions. We hypothesized that acupuncture plus low frequency electric stimulation (Acu-LFES) would mimic the impact of exercise and prevent diabetes-induced muscle loss. Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetes in mice. The mice were then treated with Acu-LFES for 15 minutes daily for 14 days. Acupuncture points were selected according to the WHO Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature guide. The needles were connected to an SDZ-II electronic acupuncture device delivering pulses at 20Hz and 1mA. Acu-LFES prevented soleus and EDL muscle weight loss and increased hind-limb muscle grip function in diabetic mice. Muscle regeneration capacity was significantly increased by Acu-LFES. The expression of Pax7, MyoD, myogenin and embryo myosin heavy chain (eMyHC) was significantly decreased in diabetic muscle vs. control muscle. The suppressed levels in diabetic muscle were reversed by Acu-LFES. The IGF-1 signaling pathway was also upregulated by Acu-LFES. Phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR and p70S6K were downregulated by diabetes leading to a decline in muscle mass, however, Acu-LFES countered the diabetes-induced decline. In addition, microRNA-1 and -206 were increased by Acu-LFES after 24 days of treatment. We conclude that Acu-LFES is effective in counteracting diabetes-induced skeletal muscle atrophy by increasing IGF-1 and its stimulation of muscle regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alayna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Acumox and Tuina Research Section, College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China; Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Janet D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hassounah
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Haidong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Xiaonan H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D013311:Streptozocin
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D013311:Streptozocin; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt