title: The modulative effects of microcurrent electrical nerve stimulation on diabetic mice.
abstract: Diabetes (one of non-communicable diseases) is serious due to its complications, such like, cardiovascular
  ailments, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, wound gangrene and sexual impotence. Diabetes
  and associated chronic conditions are rapidly emerging as major health problems. In clinical, there were
  different drugs for diabetes treatment on different mechanisms. However, there were limited studies on
  the efficacy of electric stimulations on diabetes therapeutic application. In current study, we try to
  evaluate the effect of microcurrent electrical nerve stimulator (MENS) on diabetes modulation as an
  alternative medicine. A total of 36 male ICR mice of 6 weeks old were randomly divided into 4 groups
  [1] Control, [2] MENS only, [3] DM, [4] DM with MENS. During 8 weeks treatments, the diabetes-associated
  assessments included body weight, diet utilization, blood glucose measurement, other
  biochemistries and histopathological observations. The diabetes animal model induced by STZ had
  180 mg/dl fasting blood glucose (GLU-AC) before MENS intervention. After 3 and 6 weeks administration,
  the GLU-AC of DM+MENS group significantly decreased 31.97% and 50.82% (P < 0.0001), respectively,
  as compared to DM group and the OGTT also demonstrated the similar significant results. The diabetic
  syndromes of polydipsia and polyphagia were also significantly ameliorated by MENS intervention.
  In other biochemical indexes, the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hyperinsulinemia, liver functions
  (AST & ALT) and kidneys function (BUN & Creatinine) were also significantly mitigated by MENS
  under diabetes model. The histological observation also showed the MENS administration improved
  the diabetes-related pathological characteristics in liver, kidney and pancreas tissues. Our results suggest
  that administration of MENS could significantly improve diabetes animal model on blood sugar homeostasis,
  diabetic polydipsia, biochemistries, and tissue damage. In the health conditions, the MENS didn’t exist
  obvious side effects on assessments. Therefore, the MENS could be potential on alternative medicine or
  supportive applications to future DM therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Sports Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan 33301, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Chieh
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Sports Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan 33301, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, YiLan 26042, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Sports Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan 33301, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chi-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Sports Science, National Taiwan Sport University, Taoyuan 33301, Taiwan, Republic of China.|Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City 23561, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Che-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000628:therapy*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011897:Random Allocation
keywords: alternative medicine; blood sugar; diabetes mellitus; DM complications; microcurrent electrical nerve stimulator