電気刺激による培養骨格筋細胞の肥大効果

概要

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Electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) has a hypertrophic effect on mammalian skeletal muscle, and it is usually used to prevent muscle atrophy and improve muscle strength during rehabilitation therapy. However, there is no clear explanation for the mechanisms of how EPS induces muscle hypertrophy. Thus, to clarify the mechanisms, we performed cell culture of skeletal myotubes (C2C12 myotubes). This culture was stimulated for 3 days, and the morphology of the hypertrophied myotube was analyzed. EPS conditions were as follows: rectangular wave; pulse frequency, 1.0 Hz; pulse duration, 2.5 msec; voltage, 50 V; and stimulation time, 5 min/h. Accordingly, observation under a microscope revealed that fully differentiated C2C12 myotubes contracted synchronously by EPS. In addition, diameters of the myotubes, taking as indicators of muscle hypertrophy, were analyzed. Diameters of the stimulated cells were significantly increased, compared to the diameters of those that were not stimulated. These results suggest that EPS induces to the hypertrophy of the C2C12 myotubes.
2013-03-30