Stimulatory and Inhibitory Effects of Alternating Current on the Growth of Trichophyton rubrum / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND@#Electric stimulation has been investigated for potential medical uses. Numerous articles have been published that focused on antimicrobial effects of electric current, but few studies have reported regarding modifications of fungal growth following exposure to electric current.@*OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate effects of low alternating current on the growth of Trichophyton rubrum.@*METHODS@#In total, 35 plates inoculated with T. rubrum were allocated to one of the five treatment groups (groups A, B, C, D, or E). Fungal colonies in each group were treated with a different intensity of electric current (0.5 µA, 4 µA, 25 µA, 600 µA, or 900 µA) at a frequency of 8 Hz. The area of each fungal colony was measured every other day for 7 days to evaluate the effects on fungal growth.@*RESULTS@#No experimental groups treated with electric current showed any statistically significant differences against the control groups.@*CONCLUSION@#Microcurrent did not show any detectable changes in the viability of the fungus. Our findings indicate that microcurrent may affect fungal seeding to the media rather than the growth rate. Unfortunately, there are limited studies on this topic, and further research is warranted to clarify the precise effect of electric stimulation on the activity of microorganisms.