Functional assessment of gait of the electroacupuncture in sciatic nerve regeneration in rats.

• Grant number: 11/01595-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Claudio Henrique Barbieri
• Grantee: Mariana Fukuda Sasaki
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This experiment aims to evaluate the influence of electroacupuncture on peripheral nerve regeneration through analysis functional gait after crush injury of the sciatic nerve rats. Will be used 30 Wistar rats of initial body weight 250g, divided into four experimental groups (n = 10 rats in each): (G1) group injured control (G2) injury group treated with electroacupuncture at point specific for nerve regeneration and (G3) injury group treated on the spot. The injury will be caused with the mouse under anesthesia, then the sciatic nerve right thigh will be exposed and crushed by a clamp with fixed load 5kg for 10 minutes in a 5 mm segment of nerve proximal to its trifurcation. The acupoints are located and stimulated by Plexus point locator device and the Point Scanner Pulse electro Accurate Microprocessor 195 (VMV Biotherapy). The functional analysis will be carried out using the Functional Index Sciatic (SFI) by recording the footprints made in a rear treadmill speed is controlled in days: pre-operative 7th day post operation, the 14th day after operation and 21th days post operation. And finally, for better understanding of the possible influence of electroacupuncture data obtained will be statistically analyzed to obtain the means and standard deviation for comparisons among the 4 groups, and to Evolution time.