Effects of Electrical Stimulation and Weight-Supported Treadmill Gait Simulation on Apoptosis in the Muscles of Rats with Spinal Cord Injury.
- Author:
Je Ho KIM
1
;
Moon Suk BANG
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-744, Korea. msbang@snu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Rat model;
Spinal cord injury;
Apoptosis;
Electrical stimulation;
Exercise
- MeSH:
Animals;
Apoptosis;
Blotting, Western;
DNA;
DNA Fragmentation;
Electric Stimulation;
Gait;
Muscles;
Rats;
Spinal Cord;
Spinal Cord Injuries;
Up-Regulation
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine
2010;34(6):613-621
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of electrical stimulation and weight-supported treadmill gait simulation on apoptosis in the muscles of rats with spinal cord injury. METHOD: Twenty seven rats with a model of complete spinal cord injury were assigned to one of the following groups: control (n=9), electrical stimulation (n=10), and exercise (n=8) groups. After a 2-week intervention period, they were sacrificed, and the pattern of apoptosis was analyzed by in situ DNA nick-end labeling (TUNEL), by DNA fragmentation assay, and by Western blot for Bax and Bcl-2 using specimens from the right hamstring muscles for all groups. RESULTS: The electrical stimulation group had increased apoptosis compared to the control group possibly due to overwork weakness, but there was no statistical significance between the groups. Apoptosis decreased in the exercise group compared with in the electrical stimulation and control group. The expression of Bcl-2 was most prominent in the exercise group, and it was significantly reduced in the electrical stimulation and control group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that exercise could play an important role in decreasing apoptosis by the up-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression and that electrical stimulation might cause overwork weakness in rat models of spinal cord injury.
