The Impact of Modern Therapeutic Methods on the Oxidant-Antioxidant Equilibrium and Activities of Selected Lysosomal Enzymes and Serine Protease Inhibitor in Amateur Athletes

Deep electromagnetic stimulation (DEMS) and low-frequency ultrasound (US) are new physical therapy methods used in the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system and wound healing. They are applied locally to treat the injured tissues. The beneficial effects of these methods in supportive care have been documented, but accurate biochemical effects are not known. The goal was to assess the effect of single DEMS and US sessions on the oxidant-antioxidant equilibrium, as well as the activities of lysosomal hydrolases and α(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) in peripheral blood of juvenile injured amateur athletes. In the athletes with low back pain (DEMS treated, N = 16) and pain in the shoulder or ankle joint (US treated, N = 14), as well as in healthy control amateur athletes (DEMS treated, N = 14; US treated, N = 17), before the sessions and 30 minutes and 24 hours after them, the levels of the following parameters were determined: thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in erythrocytes and plasma, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) in erythrocytes, as well as acid phosphatase (AcP), arylsulfatase (ASA), cathepsin D (CTS D), and α(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) in serum. After both procedures, the levels of parameters changed in a negligible manner, excluding the cathepsin D activity, which was statistically significantly lower 30 min and 24 h after US in the control athletes compared to the baseline activity determined directly before the procedure (47.5% and 55.7% differences, respectively). Similar tendency was observed after DEMS (p > 0.05). The procedures, especially low-frequency US, decrease lysosomal proteolytic activity and do not significantly disrupt the oxidant-antioxidant and lysosomal equilibriums in the peripheral blood both of healthy and injured athletes. No systemic acute-phase response of AAT was also detected in the athletes after both procedures. This trial is registered with CTRI/2018/01/011344.