Comparison of Regeneration Effects of Direct and Alternating Microcurrent Therapy on Atrophied Calf Muscle in a Rabbit

ABSTRACT

Objective@#We compared the regenerative effects of microcurrent therapy (MT) according to the type of electric current, which were direct current microcurrent therapy (DCMT) and alternating current microcurrent therapy (ACMT) on atrophied calf muscle in cast-immobilized rabbit. @*Methods@#Rabbits were allocated into control group (sham MT), ACMT group, and DCMT group.Before starting treatment, right gastrocnemius (GCM) muscle was immobilized by cast for 2 weeks. Compound muscle action potential of tibial nerve in nerve conduction study, circumference of calf muscle using a ruler, and thickness of medial and lateral GCM muscle measured by ultrasound, cross sectional area (CSA), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) ratios (%) of muscle fibers were measured on the immunohistochemical analysis. @*Results@#The mean atrophic changes (%) in right medial and lateral GCM muscle thickness, right calf circumference, and amplitude of CMAP of the right tibial nerve in ACMT group and DCMT group were significantly lower than those in control group, respectively (p＜0.05). The mean CSA (μm 2 ) of type I and type II and PCNA ratios (%) of medial and lateral GCM muscle fibers in ACMT group and DCMT group were significantly greater than those in control group, respectively (p＜0.05). There were no significant differences between the ACMT group and DCMT group at all parameters. @*Conclusion@#This study demonstrated that ACMT and DCMT showed better regeneration effect than sham MT. Microcurrent may be effective in regeneration of atrophied muscle regardless of the type of current.