Experimental wound healing using microamperage electrical stimulation in rabbits.

We investigated the effects of microamperage electrical stimulation (MES) on the healing of skin incision in rabbits. Thirty male adult rabbits were randomly divided into sham-treated and experimental groups. Each group was divided into three subgroups, based on the duration of experiment (4, 7, and 15 days). A full-thickness incision was made on the skin of each rabbit. The experimental group received an MES of 200 microamperes current intensity for 2 h/day. Morphometrical and biomechanical evaluations were carried out. The mean number of fibroblasts at day 7 and the mean of tensile strength at day 15 were found to be significantly higher for the experimental group than for those in the sham-treated group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Daily application of MES significantly accelerated the wound-healing process of full-thickness incision in the rabbits' skin.

[1]  J. C. Mulier,et al.  The effects of electric currents on ATP generation, protein synthesis, and membrane transport of rat skin. , 1982, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[2]  H. Demir,et al.  A comparative study of the effects of electrical stimulation and laser treatment on experimental wound healing in rats. , 2004, Journal of rehabilitation research and development.

[3]  Carley Pj,et al.  Electrotherapy for acceleration of wound healing: low intensity direct current. , 1985 .

[4]  J. Konikoff Electrical promotion of soft tissue repairs , 1976, Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

[5]  G. Majno The story of the myofibroblasts , 1979, The American journal of surgical pathology.

[6]  C. Brighton,et al.  Stimulation of fracture healing by direct current in the rabbit fibula. , 1971, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume.

[7]  W. Gault,et al.  Use of low intensity direct current in management of ischemic skin ulcers. , 1976, Physical therapy.

[8]  S. Kitchen,et al.  Clayton's Electrotherapy , 1995 .

[9]  J. Kahn Principles and practice of electrotherapy , 1987 .

[10]  M. Cornwall,et al.  Effect of microamperage stimulation on the rate of wound healing in rats: a histological study. , 1994, Physical therapy.

[11]  G. Yarkony,et al.  Pressure ulcers: a review. , 1994, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[12]  N. Byl,et al.  Pulsed microamperage stimulation: a controlled study of healing of surgically induced wounds in Yucatan pigs. , 1994, Physical therapy.

[13]  R. Mendius,et al.  Efficacy of high voltage pulsed current for healing of pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury. , 1991, Physical therapy.

[14]  M. Dyson,et al.  Effect of therapeutic ultrasound on the healing of full-thickness excised skin lesions. , 1990, Ultrasonics.

[15]  • Epidermis,et al.  WOUND healing. , 1959, The Medical journal of Australia.

[16]  W. Sharrard,et al.  A double-blind trial of pulsed electromagnetic fields for delayed union of tibial fractures. , 1990, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. British volume.

[17]  T. Watson Electrical stimulation for wound healing , 1996 .

[18]  G. Gentzkow,et al.  Electrical stimulation to heal dermal wounds. , 1993, The Journal of dermatologic surgery and oncology.

[19]  P. Gogia,et al.  High-voltage galvanic stimulation on wound healing in guinea pigs: longer-term effects. , 1995, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[20]  Mustafa Tercan,et al.  A Comparative Study of the Effect of Ultrasound and Electrostimulation on Wound Healing in Rats , 1997, Plastic and reconstructive surgery.

[21]  Peter L. Williams,et al.  Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Medicine and Surgery , 1996 .

[22]  C. Brighton,et al.  Bone reaction to varying amounts of direct current. , 1970, Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics.

[23]  M. Brown,et al.  Polarity effects on wound healing using electric stimulation in rabbits. , 1989, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[24]  V Sahgal,et al.  Experimental wound healing with electrical stimulation. , 1999, Artificial organs.

[25]  S. Wainapel,et al.  Electrotherapy for acceleration of wound healing: low intensity direct current. , 1985, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.