Preventive effects of kilohertz frequency electrical stimulation on sepsis-induced muscle atrophy

OBJECTIVES: The present study sought to evaluate the effect of electrical stimulation (ES) by using kilohertz frequency on muscle atrophy induced by sepsis. METHODS: Seventeen male ICR mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injected for 4 days, LPS plus ES (LPS+ES). Sepsis was induced by 4 days of an intraperitoneal LPS injection (10 µg/g body weight/day). LPS+ES animals received the LPS injections and ES twice a day for 4 days. ELISA and western blot analysis determined the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines and ubiquitinated proteins, while the tibialis anterior muscles were weighed and muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured to assess muscle atrophy, which were analyzed by Student’s t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: LPS induced increased plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines, significant muscle mass loss (LPS:-29.0%, LPS+ES:-23.1%), decreased fiber cross-sectional area, and an up-regulation of atrogin-1 and ubiquitinated proteins in the tibialis anterior muscle compared with the control. ES attenuated the sepsis-induced loss of muscle mass and decreased fiber CSA, as well as attenuated the atrogin-1 and ubiquitinated protein up-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Electrical stimulation may prevent sepsis-induced muscle atrophy through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway inhibition.