Development of an innovative adjuvant therapy with combination of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and eccentric contraction for improvement of muscle strength in arthritis disorders

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26702021
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Sapporo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Takashi 札幌医科大学, 保健医療学部, 准教授 (50583176)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 介護予防 / 関節疾患 / 筋力低下 / 神経筋電気刺激 / 酸化ストレス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ES) training with eccentric contraction (ECC) on skeletal muscle dysfunction in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rat. AIA was induced by an injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant. ES was applied every other day for three weeks. There was a reduction in specific force production in skinned fibers from medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles from AIA rats, which was accompanied by the aggregation of actin. Moreover, the protein expressions of the pro-oxidative enzymes NADPH oxidase, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, and p62 were increased in AIA EDL muscles. These deleterious changes were prevented by ES training. The present data suggest that NMES training prevents AIA-induced skeletal muscle weakness presumably by counteracting the formation of actin aggregates. Thus, ES training with ECC can be effective in treatment of muscle dysfunction seen in patients with arthritis disorders.

Free Research Field

筋機能制御学