Electrical Stimulation Of Skeletal Muscle Research Articles

Skeletal Muscle Electrical Stimulation Prevents Progression of Disuse Muscle Atrophy via Forkhead Box O Dynamics Mediated by Phosphorylated Protein Kinase B and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma Coactivator-1alpha.

Although electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) of skeletal muscle effectively prevents muscle atrophy, its effect on the breakdown of muscle component proteins is unknown. In this study, we investigated the biological mechanisms by which EMS-induced muscle contraction inhibits disuse muscle atrophy progression. Experimental animals were divided into a control group and three experimental groups: immobilized (Im; immobilization treatment), low-frequency (LF; immobilization treatment and low-frequency muscle contraction exercise), and high-frequency (HF; immobilization treatment and high-frequency muscle contraction exercise). Following the experimental period, bilateral soleus muscles were collected and analyzed. Atrogin-1 and Muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF-1) mRNA expression levels were significantly higher for the experimental groups than for the control group but were significantly lower for the HF group than for the Im group. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) mRNA and protein expression levels in the HF group were significantly higher than those in the Im group, with no significant differences compared to the Con group. Both the Forkhead box O (FoxO)/phosphorylated FoxO and protein kinase B (AKT)/phosphorylated AKT ratios were significantly lower for the Im group than for the control group and significantly higher for the HF group than for the Im group. These results, the suppression of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 expression for the HF group may be due to decreased nuclear expression of FoxO by AKT phosphorylation and suppression of FoxO transcriptional activity by PGC-1alpha. Furthermore, the number of muscle contractions might be important for effective EMS.

The effect of electrical stimulation of skeletal muscle on cardioprotection and on muscle-derived myokine levels in rats: A pilot study.

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is a widely used method in sports and rehabilitation therapies to simulate physical exercise. EMS treatment via skeletal muscle activity improves the cardiovascular functions and the overall physical condition of the patients. However, the cardioprotective effect of EMS has not been proven so far, therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential cardiac conditioning effect of EMS in an animal model. Low-frequency 35-min EMS was applied to the gastrocnemius muscle of male Wistar rats for three consecutive days. Their isolated hearts were then subjected to 30 min global ischemia and 120 min reperfusion. At the end of reperfusion cardiac specific creatine kinase (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme release and myocardial infarct size were determined. Additionally, skeletal muscle-driven myokine expression and release were also assessed. Phosphorylation of cardioprotective signaling pathway members AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 proteins were also measured. EMS significantly attenuated cardiac LDH and CK-MB enzyme activities in the coronary effluents at the end of the ex vivo reperfusion. EMS treatment considerably altered the myokine content of the stimulated gastrocnemius muscle without altering circulating myokine levels in the serum. Additionally, phosphorylation of cardiac AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 was not significantly different in the two groups. Despite the lack of significant infarct size reduction, the EMS treatment seems to influence the course of cellular damage due to ischemia/reperfusion and favorably modifies skeletal muscle myokine expressions. Our results suggest that EMS may have a protective effect on the myocardium, however, further optimization is required.

Modeling and estimating the model adequacy in muscle tissue electrical stimulator designing

The research object is the mathematical modeling of human skeletal muscle electrical stimulation characteristics during therapy. The subject of research is mathematical models of electrical stimulation characteristics that relate muscle contraction amplitude to the amplitude, the rate of stimulating effects, and other parameters. The research purpose is to study such models, develop an algorithm for their correction and a method for estimating their adequacy. The methods used: mathematical modeling methods, methods of structural and parametric identification of models, optimization methods, methods for estimating the adequacy of models, and interval methods. The results: an algorithm for muscle electrical stimulation characteristics mathematical models correcting during several sessions in case of their change is proposed; a method for estimating the model adequacy area in the external variables space in order to control its adequacy is proposed; using the interval mathematics methods to construct the adequacy actual area is justified; an interval estimating of the error in modeling a certain output characteristic is introduced, that, in the case of characteristic monotonicity, allows checking the adequacy maintaining by checking some inequalities. The results can be used in the design of electrical stimulators and for determining the electrical stimulation effects of individual parameters during one session or a series of sessions. The scientific originality: the interval mathematics methods for approximating the mathematical model adequacy area in a hyperparallepiped and checking for nesting in the target area in the external parameters space in order to control the adequacy during the model correction in electrical stimulation is proposed and justified.

Low-frequency electrical stimulation of bilateral hind legs by belt electrodes is effective for preventing denervation-induced atrophies in multiple skeletal muscle groups in rats.

Belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES) can simultaneously contract multiple muscle groups. Although the beneficial effects of B-SES in clinical situations have been elucidated, its molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we developed a novel rodent B-SES ankle stimulation system to test whether low-frequency stimulation prevents denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Electrical stimulations (7‒8Hz, 30min) with ankle belt electrodes were applied to Sprague-Dawley rats daily for one week. All animals were assigned to the control (CONT), denervation-induced atrophy (DEN), and DEN + electrical stimulation (ES) groups. The tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (GAS) muscles were used to examine the effect of ES treatment. After seven daily sessions of continuous stimulation, muscle wet weight (n = 8-11), and muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA, n = 4-6) of TA and GAS muscles were lower in DEN and DEN + ES than in CON. However, it was significantly higher in DEN than DEN + ES, showing that ES partially prevented muscle atrophy. PGC-1α, COX-IV, and citrate synthase activities (n = 6) were significantly higher in DEN + ES than in DEN. The mRNA levels of muscle proteolytic molecules, Atrogin-1 and Murf1, were significantly higher in DEN than in CONT, while B-SES significantly suppressed their expression (p < 0.05). In conclusion, low-frequency electrical stimulation of the bilateral ankles using belt electrodes (but not the pad electrodes) is effective in preventing denervation-induced atrophy in multiple muscles, which has not been observed with pad electrodes. Maintaining the mitochondrial quantity and enzyme activity by low-frequency electrical stimulation is key to suppressing muscle protein degradation.

Efficacy of Belt Electrode Skeletal Muscle Electrical Stimulation in the Postoperative Rest Period in Patients with Diabetes who Have Undergone minor Amputations: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to investigate whether belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES) would improve postoperative lower limb function and walking ability in patients with diabetes who have undergone minor amputations. Diabetic patients who had undergone minor amputations were assigned randomly to a B-SES or control group. The B-SES group underwent conventional physical therapy for 20 min and B-SES for 20 min. The control group underwent only the 20-min conventional physical therapy. In both groups, rehabilitation was introduced by the physical therapists for 14 days from postoperative day 1. The outcome measures were range of motion in the ankle joint, knee extension muscle strength, ambulation status, and quality of life score. All these were evaluated before the intervention and 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention. From the 84 patients initially assessed, 32 were assigned to either the B-SES (N = 16) or control (N = 16) group. Preoperatively, there were no significant differences in all endpoints. The B-SES group showed significant improvement in the ankle dorsiflexion angle at 2 weeks postoperatively and knee joint extension strength at 4 weeks postoperatively. Postoperative B-SES with standard physical therapy might improve the range of motion of dorsiflexion of the ankle joint and extensor strength of the knee joint in patients with diabetes who have undergone minor amputations. B-SES is a useful tool to improve postoperative physical function in diabetic patients who have undergone minor amputations. A multicenter study is needed to determine the effective B-SES combined with regular physiotherapy for minor amputation.

Effect of Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Vascular Endothelial Function during Prolonged Sitting.

While prolonged sedentary behaviors (SBs) increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, interrupting prolonged sitting (PS) with frequent light exercise reduces arterial functional decline. Skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (EMS) enhances peripheral circulation through passive muscle contraction, suggesting that EMS reduces CVD risk by providing an alternative to active exercise for prolonged SBs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EMS to skeletal muscles during PS on the endothelial function of the brachial artery (BA). Study participants included 12 healthy adult men who were subjected to 15 min of supine rest, followed by 1 h of PS only (control [CON] trial), or 20 min of EMS to the lower extremities at 50% of the maximum tolerance intensity during PS (EMS trial). Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the BA was measured before and 30 min after PS, and normalized FMD (nFMD) was calculated. The nFMD of the CON trial significantly decreased 30 min after PS completion (6.21% ± 1.13%) compared with that before PS (7.26% ± 0.73%), and there was no significant change in the EMS trial before and after PS. The EMS trial showed a significant increase in the nFMD 30 min after PS completion (1.14 ± 0.77) compared with that before PS (0.84 ± 0.43). However, no significant difference was observed in the CON trials. Passive contraction of the lower extremity muscles by EMS increases BA nFMD, suggesting that prolonged sedentary lower extremity EMS use may reduce the risk of vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Effects of early post-transplant belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation therapy on an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient: A case study

Effects of early post-transplant belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation therapy on an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient: A case study

The Dragon's Paralysing Spell: Evidence of Sodium and Calcium Ion Channel Binding Neurotoxins in Helodermatid and Varanid Lizard Venoms.

Bites from helodermatid lizards can cause pain, paresthesia, paralysis, and tachycardia, as well as other symptoms consistent with neurotoxicity. Furthermore, in vitro studies have shown that Heloderma horridum venom inhibits ion flux and blocks the electrical stimulation of skeletal muscles. Helodermatids have long been considered the only venomous lizards, but a large body of robust evidence has demonstrated venom to be a basal trait of Anguimorpha. This clade includes varanid lizards, whose bites have been reported to cause anticoagulation, pain, and occasionally paralysis and tachycardia. Despite the evolutionary novelty of these lizard venoms, their neuromuscular targets have yet to be identified, even for the iconic helodermatid lizards. Therefore, to fill this knowledge gap, the venoms of three Heloderma species (H. exasperatum, H. horridum and H. suspectum) and two Varanus species (V. salvadorii and V. varius) were investigated using Gallus gallus chick biventer cervicis nerve–muscle preparations and biolayer interferometry assays for binding to mammalian ion channels. Incubation with Heloderma venoms caused the reduction in nerve-mediated muscle twitches post initial response of avian skeletal muscle tissue preparation assays suggesting voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel binding. Congruent with the flaccid paralysis inducing blockage of electrical stimulation in the skeletal muscle preparations, the biolayer interferometry tests with Heloderma suspectum venom revealed binding to the S3–S4 loop within voltage-sensing domain IV of the skeletal muscle channel subtype, NaV1.4. Consistent with tachycardia reported in clinical cases, the venom also bound to voltage-sensing domain IV of the cardiac smooth muscle calcium channel, CaV1.2. While Varanus varius venom did not have discernable effects in the avian tissue preparation assay at the concentration tested, in the biointerferometry assay both V. varius and V. salvadorii bound to voltage-sensing domain IV of both NaV1.4 and CaV1.2, similar to H. suspectum venom. The ability of varanid venoms to bind to mammalian ion channels but not to the avian tissue preparation suggests prey-selective actions, as did the differential potency within the Heloderma venoms for avian versus mammalian pathophysiological targets. This study thus presents the detailed characterization of Heloderma venom ion channel neurotoxicity and offers the first evidence of varanid lizard venom neurotoxicity. In addition, the data not only provide information useful to understanding the clinical effects produced by envenomations, but also reveal their utility as physiological probes, and underscore the potential utility of neglected venomous lineages in the drug design and development pipeline.

Exercise Training Enhances Myocardial Mitophagy and Improves Cardiac Function via Irisin/FNDC5-PINK1/Parkin Pathway in MI Mice.

Myocardial infarction is the major cause of death in cardiovascular disease. In vitro and in vivo models are used to find the exercise mode which has the most significant effect on myocardial irisin/FNDC5 expression and illuminate the cardioprotective role and mechanisms of exercise-activated myocardial irisin/FNDC5-PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy in myocardial infarction. The results indicated that expression of irisin/FNDC5 in myocardium could be up-regulated by different types of exercise and skeletal muscle electrical stimulation, which then promotes mitophagy and improves cardiac function and the effect of resistance exercise. Resistance exercise can improve cardiac function by activating the irisin/FNDC5-PINK1/Parkin-LC3/P62 pathway, regulating mitophagy and inhibiting oxidative stress. OPA1 may play an important role in the improvement of cardiac function and mitophagy pathway in myocardial infarction mice by irisin-mediated resistance exercise. Resistance exercise is expected to become an effective therapeutic way to promote myocardial infarction rehabilitation.

Development of the Protocol to Deliver Graded Stimulation Intensity on Lower Limbs Using Belt-shaped Electrode Skeletal Muscle Stimulation.

ABSTRACTObjectives:Current advancements in neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) include belt-shaped electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES), which was developed to induce whole leg muscle contraction in a single session. Delivering the optimal amount of stimulation is critical in NMES; therefore, we set out to establish a method to determine the B-SES stimulation intensity needed to induce muscle contraction sufficient for clinical purposes.Methods:We used the Auto Tens Pro system (Homer Ion Laboratory), which is a B-SES device. Stimulation at 20 Hz was delivered for 5 s, followed by 2 s rest. Twenty-four patients who were hospitalized for musculoskeletal diseases were enrolled at two hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups of subjectively graded stimulation intensities: moderate, strong, or very strong. To achieve each target intensity, we developed a structured verbal instruction protocol that aimed to help therapists deliver the target level of stimulation. As a physiological assessment of muscle contraction, serum lactate levels were measured before and after a single 20-min B-SES session.Results:The electric current intensity required to achieve a target subjective muscle contraction gradually increase according to the subjective contraction level. The increase in serum lactate level was significantly larger in the very strong group than in the moderate group.Conclusions:B-SES stimulators have the potential to induce efficient muscle strengthening in patients with musculoskeletal diseases. The structured verbal protocol developed here could help therapists achieve the appropriate stimulation intensity for each patient.

Experience in using skeletal muscle electrical stimulation for advanced cancer patients during chemoradiotherapy

Experience in using skeletal muscle electrical stimulation for advanced cancer patients during chemoradiotherapy

Physiological Basis of Low-frequency Electromyostimulation, a Promising Countermeasure against Sarcopenia and Hypogravity-induced Muscle Atrophy

Electromyostimulation plays an important role along with other means of rehabilitation and training in sports, clinical and space medicine. Many laboratories in the world are involved in the development of new modes and hardware for electrical stimulation of skeletal muscles and in the study of the physiological effects of electromyostimulation. In the clinical setting, chronic low-frequency, low-intensity stimulation is usually applied with a view to preparing muscle tissue for cardiomyoplastic surgery, correcting the state of a paralyzed muscle, and to rehabilitating patients with the hypokinetic syndrome. This review is devoted to the study of the physiological basis (mechanisms of action) of chronic low-frequency stimulation. In the early 1970s, a model of chronic low-frequency electrical stimulation of the muscles of laboratory animals was developed and widely studied. As a result of numerous studies it was established that such stimulation led to an increase in muscle performance, fatigue resistance, the activities of oxidative enzymes and other structural and metabolic markers, as well as to a sustained fast-to-slow muscle fiber transformation. Similar data were obtained in the studies of healthy volunteers. Low-frequency stimulation had a beneficial effect on the atrophied disused muscle. The review examines the advantages and disadvantages of low-frequency electromyostimulation in relation to deconditioned muscle rehabilitation.

Efficacy of belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation on muscle flexibility of lower limbs: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Background:Muscular contracture may be caused by immobility-induced muscle atrophy and skeletal muscle hypoxia. Belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES) is a new type of neuromuscular electrical stimulation that can simultaneously contract the lower limb muscle groups, in contrast to the conventional pad-type electrodes. B-SES can suppress muscular atrophy and relieve hypoxia of the skeletal muscle and is considered an appropriate strategy for preventing muscular contracture. However, the effect of B-SES on muscle flexibility has not been verified. This study aimed to compare the immediate effects of B-SES on skeletal muscle flexibility using different stimulation modes before the clinical study.Methods:We conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial with cross-over analysis of 10 healthy subjects. The participants were subjected to three stimulus conditions (Disuse B-SES, Metabolic B-SES, and Control) with a minimal interval of 1 day between interventions, and the lower limb flexibility before and after the B-SES intervention was evaluated. Lower extremity flexibility was evaluated based on the hamstring muscle stiffness and sit-and-reach distance. For each endpoint, within-group comparisons were performed before and after the intervention and were compared between the groups using paired t-tests. Changes in each endpoint before and after the intervention were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Bonferroni method. The significance level was 0.05.Results:Ten healthy individuals participated in all three interventions with a washout period between each intervention. In the Metabolic B-SES group, the sit-and-reach distance after the intervention was significantly higher than that before the intervention (P < 0.05). A comparison of the change in the sit-and-reach distance among the three groups before subsequent tests showed that the Metabolic B-SES group had a significantly increased sit-and-reach distance compared with the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusion:Metabolic B-SES was effective for the immediate improvement of flexibility of the lower limb muscles. Therefore, Metabolic B-SES may be useful as a strategy for preventing muscular contracture.

Effect of belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation on psychological stress

Effect of belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation on psychological stress

The possibility of using skeletal muscle electrical stimulation in the rehabilitation of patients after cardiac surgery

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) in patients with the complicated early postoperative period after cardiac surgery.Methods. 61 patients (44 men and 17 women) aged 52-70 years with the complicated early postoperative period after cardiac surgery were included in the study. The complications included prolonged length of stay in the intensive care unit and prolonged mechanical ventilation. The initial muscle performance of the lower extremities was measured with the carpal and isokinetic dynamometer in all patients. The six-minute walk test was performed in all patients after they had been transferred to the department of cardiac surgery.Results. Patients in the study group had reduced lower extremity muscle strength at baseline, compared with the control group. After the EMS sessions, the study group patients demonstrated pronounced improvements in muscle performance as compared to the control group. Both knee-joint extension values increased during the isometric contraction as compared to those in the control group (38.8% and 40.0% versus 8.1% and 8.4%, p &lt;0.001), similarly to right knee-joint flexion (23.7% versus 10.1%, p = 0.008), left ankle joint (18.6 versus 4.3%, p = 0.010), right-hand grip strength (18.3 versus 11.1%, p = 0.042). In addition, the six-minute walk test results improved in the EMS group (119.72% (293 meters) and 87.13% (315 meters)) as compared to the control group (p = 0.079).Conclusion. The EMS sessions did not affect the clinical status of cardiac surgical patients with the complicated postoperative period. Moreover, it appeared to be beneficial in terms of the improved lower extremity muscle strength that was more pronounced in the study group than in the control group. Therefore, the effects of EMS on the clinical status of these patients require the further investigation.

Effect of acute transcranial magnetic stimulation on intracellular signalling in human skeletal muscle.

To investigate the potential of an acute bout of transcranial electrical stimulation to induce anabolic signalling. Experimental intervention on healthy subjects. Ten healthy subjects, 5 women and 5 men (mean age (standard deviation (SD) 32 years (SD 4)). The quadriceps muscle was stimulated at a frequency of 10 Hz for 10 s, followed by 20 s of rest, repeated 40 times over 20 min. Electromyography and force data were collected for all transcranial electrical stimulation sequences. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle before and 1 and 3 h after stimulation. One bout of transcranial electrical stimulation decreased phosphorylation of AKT at Thr308 (1 h: -29%, 3 h: -38%; p < 0.05) and mTOR phosphorylation at Ser2448 (1 h: -10%; ns, 3 h: -21%; p < 0.05), both in the anabolic pathway. Phosphorylation of AMPK, ACC and ULK1 were not affected. c-MYC gene expression was unchanged following transcranial electrical stimulation, but rDNA transcription decreased (1 h: -28%, 3 h: -19%; p < 0.05). PGC1α-ex1b mRNA increased (1 h: 2.3-fold, 3 h: 2.6-fold; p < 0.05), which also correlated with vastus lateralis electromyography activity, while other PGC-1α variants were unchanged. Acute transcranial electrical stimulation of skeletal muscle in weight-bearing healthy individuals did not induce anabolic signalling, and some signs of impaired muscle anabolism were detected, suggesting limited potential in preventing muscle wasting.

Effect of belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation during hemodialysis on the endothelial function in hemodialysis patients

Effect of belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation during hemodialysis on the endothelial function in hemodialysis patients

Phosphoproteomics reveals conserved exercise-stimulated signaling and AMPK regulation of store-operated calcium entry.

Exercise stimulates cellular and physiological adaptations that are associated with widespread health benefits. To uncover conserved protein phosphorylation events underlying this adaptive response, we performed mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic analyses of skeletal muscle from two widely used rodent models: treadmill running in mice and insitu muscle contraction in rats. We overlaid these phosphoproteomic signatures with cycling in humans to identify common cross-species phosphosite responses, as well as unique model-specific regulation. We identified >22,000 phosphosites, revealing orthologous protein phosphorylation and overlapping signaling pathways regulated by exercise. This included two conserved phosphosites on stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), which we validate as AMPK substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AMPK-mediated phosphorylation of STIM1 negatively regulates store-operated calcium entry, and this is beneficial for exercise in Drosophila. This integrated cross-species resource of exercise-regulated signaling in human, mouse, and rat skeletal muscle has uncovered conserved networks and unraveled crosstalk between AMPK and intracellular calcium flux.

Changes of blood myokine levels following human skeletal muscle contraction using belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation

Interleukin (IL)-6 is a myokine secreted from skeletal muscle fibers by the stimulation of muscle contraction. IL-6 then acts on skeletal muscle itself or on remote organs through the blood circulation, resulting in various health benefits. The quantity of mobilized muscle, exercise intensity, and exercise time are deeply involved in the rise of blood IL-6 levels. In this study, we investigated whether high sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL-6, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, were produced in humans by muscle contraction due to electrical stimulation . Six healthy men underwent 20 min of belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation. No time-dependent changes in IL-6, IL-10, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were observed. These results suggest that blood myokines do not increase in response to standard electrical stimulation.

骨格筋電気刺激における分岐鎖アミノ酸（BCAA）摂取が エネルギー代謝に及ぼす効果

骨格筋電気刺激における分岐鎖アミノ酸（BCAA）摂取が エネルギー代謝に及ぼす効果