Vol 43, No 4 (2005)
Original paper
Published online: 2005-12-31

open access

Page views 1401
Article views/downloads 1003
Get Citation

Connect on Social Media

Connect on Social Media

Ultrastructural features of supraspinal muscles in rabbits after long-term transcutaneous lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS)

Ireneusz M. Kowalski, Józef Szarek, Izabella Babińska, Joanna Wojtkiewicz, Anna Andrzejewska, Joanna Lipińska, Mariusz Majewski
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2005;43(4):243-247.

Abstract

Lateral electrical surface stimulation is one of methods used in the therapy of the progressive form of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) in children and youth. However, there are data suggesting that this method may lead to serious adverse side effects, when used for a too long period of time per day. To clarify this issue, the present study was aimed at disclosing possible changes in the ultrastructural appearance of rabbit supraspinal muscles undergoing long-term stimulation (9 h per day, 3 months), an animal model successfully used to mimic the situation in humans. In comparison to the control animals, muscles of "overstimulated" rabbits exhibited clear signs of microscopical lesions, including depletion and disintegration of myofilaments, proliferation, dilatation and, sometimes, swelling of sarcoplasmic reticulum and/or mitochondria, as well as signs of destruction of the Z line. The above-mentioned abnormalities, especially the signs of degenerative processes associated with the Z line and the observed microlesions strongly suggest that the failure of the long-term LESS therapy of the IS may be attributable to these ultrastructural lesions.

Article available in PDF format

View PDF Download PDF file