Effect of electrical stimulation on oxidative stress in tissues in a rat model with incision wound

Abstract

Electrical stimulation (ES) are known to have beneficial effects in wound healing. However, the effect of electrical stimulation in wound theraphy on the oxidant and antioxidant levels of various tissues in the body remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of electrical stimulation on the oxidative stress capacity of tissues in a rat model with a surgical incision wound on the lateral line of the femoral region. Rats divided in two groups: control and ES group. A longitudinal skin incision was made only from the right lateral line of all rats. ES was applied 200 μs, 20 Hz, 2mA for 20 min during 15 days. Some oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (rGSH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT)) in tissues (brain, heart, kidney, liver, testis, gastrocnemius and quadriceps femoris muscle) were obtained spectrophotometrically. The ES reduced oxidative stress by decreasing MDA and simultaneously increasing different antioxidants in different tissues. The results suggest that incision wound could induce oxidative stress in tissues and electrical stimulation post-incision wound may have ameliorative effect.