Low-frequency Electrical Nerve Stimulation Research Articles

The effects of low frequency electrical nerve stimulation on sensory and motor function in patients with hemiplegia and hemianesthesia caused by acute cerebral infarction

Objective To observe the effects of low frequency electrical nerve stimulation on sensory and motor functioning in patients with hemiplegia and hemianesthesia caused by acute cerebral infarction.Methods Sixty-one acute cerebral infarction patients with both hemiplegia and hemianesthesia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group.Thirty patients in the control group received conventional treatment.Thirty-one patients in the treatment group were treated with low frequency electrical stimulation of the peripheral nerves of the affected extremities in addition to the conventional treatment.Sensory function,motor function and performance in the activities of daily living(ADL)were evaluated before and 14 days after treatment.Results Sensory function,motor function and ADL performance in both groups improved significantly over the 14 days.Furthermore,the difference between the two groups after treatment was significant.Conclusion Low frequency electrical nerve stimulation can improve sensory function,motor function and ADL performance in acute cerebral infarction patients with both hemiplegia and hemianesthesia. Key words: Acute cerebral infarction; Low frequency electrical stimulation; Peripheral nerves; Sensery function; Motor function

Function and Solution Structure of Huwentoxin-X, a Specific Blocker of N-type Calcium Channels, from the Chinese Bird Spider Ornithoctonus huwena

Huwentoxin-X (HWTX-X) is a novel peptide toxin, purified from the venom of the spider Ornithoctonus huwena. It comprises 28 amino acid residues including six cysteine residues as disulfide bridges linked in the pattern of I-IV, II-V, and III-VI. Its cDNA, determined by rapid amplification of 3' and 5' cDNA ends, encodes a 65-residue prepropeptide. HWTX-X shares low sequence homology with omega-conotoxins GVIA and MVIIA, two well known blockers of N-type Ca2+ channels. Nevertheless, whole cell studies indicate that it can block N-type Ca2+ channels in rat dorsal root ganglion cells (IC50 40 nm) and the blockage by HWTX-X is completely reversible. The rank order of specificity for N-type Ca2+ channels is GVIA approximately HWTX-X > MVIIA. In contrast to GVIA and MVIIA, HWTX-X had no detectable effect on the twitch response of rat vas deferens to low frequency electrical stimulation, indicating that HWTX-X has different selectivity for isoforms of N-type Ca2+ channels, compared with GVIA or MVIIA. A comparison of the structures of HWTX-X and GVIA reveals that they not only adopt a common structural motif (inhibitor cystine knot), but also have a similar functional motif, a binding surface formed by the critical residue Tyr, and several basic residues. However, the dissimilarities of their binding surfaces provide some insights into their different selectivities for isoforms of N-type Ca2+ channels.

The bupivacaine effects on long term low frequency electrical nerve stimulation to transform muscle fiber type

The bupivacaine effects on long term low frequency electrical nerve stimulation to transform muscle fiber type