Effects of functional electrical stimulation on neural function recovery and expression of nestin around cerebral infracted urea of rats with acute stroke

Abstract

Objective To study the effects of functional electric stimulation(FES) on neural function recovery and expression of nestin around cerebral infract area of rats with acute stroke.Methods The model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) of male adult SD rats was established with the method of modified intraluminal filament occlusion.Sixty successfully established model rats were randomly allocated into FES group, placebo group and control group(20/group).Three days after MCAO' s surgery, rats in FES group were treated with FES device while the ones in placebo stimulation group were treated with the same FES device but without electrical output.Rats in control group had no treatment.All groups were randomly assigned into 4 subgroups according to treatment time:1 d,3 d ,7 d and 14 d (5/subgroup).The modified neurological severity score(mNSS) was adopted to evaluate neural function recovery before and after treatment in 4 time points as mentioned above.Meanwhile,the nestin expression in various time points was detected by immunohistochemistry stain in distant area of ipsilateral cortex of infarction.Results The mNSS sours in FES group is lower than that in placebo simulation group and control group at the 7 thd and 14thd (P < 0.05 ) ;The expression of nestin-positive cells in distant area of ipsilateral cortex of infarction of rats in FES group is higher than that in placebo stimulation group and control group ( P < 0.05 ).Conclusions FES may improve the recovery of neural function in the earlier stage of cerebral infarction.FES treatment could improve the expression of nesitin around cerebral infarct area and it could be one of the mechanisms of FES' s effect. Key words: Functional electric stimulation; Cerebral infarction; Neural function recovery; Nestin