Electroacupuncture Attenuates Muscle Atrophy in the Gastrocnemius of Rats Induced by 21-days of Hindlimb Suspension.

Muscle atrophy is a major concern for the elderly, those that succumb to injury or have experienced microgravity. Many different methods have been used to prevent and/or attenuate the muscle atrophy process. Previous studies suggest that electroacupuncture can help maintain and possibly stimulate the muscle to grow. In addition, there are numerous dietary interventions claiming that they can increase muscle mass and strength. PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture and/or herbal supplementation on skeletal muscle mass and function during 21 days of hindlimb suspension-induced muscle atrophy in rats. METHODS: Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: 1) Control (CON), 2) Hindlimb Suspension (H), 3) H + Herbal supplementation (HH), 4) H + elctroacupuncture (HA), and 5) H + Combination of two treatments (HC) (n=6 each). Huang Qi was orally gavage once a day for 21 days (1 ml mixed with water based on concentration of 368 mg/kg). Electroacupuncture treatment (2-15 Hz, 2-4 Voltage for 15 mins) was applied 3 times/wk for 21 days. Western blot was used to measure Akt and mTOR. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA with LSD post hoc test. RESULTS: Following 21-day hindlimb suspension the gastrocnemius showed significant atrophy in H compared to CON (614.3 ± 27.7 vs. 799.83 ± 19.9 mg; p< 0.05). Muscle mass of HA and HC were significantly higher than H (743.00±46.18 and 726.0 ± 23.6 mg; p< 0.05). In addition, the protein concentration of Akt and mTOR were similar across treatment groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that electroacupuncture treatment, but not Huang Qi supplementation, may attenuate hindlimb suspension-induced muscle atrophy in rats. However, the protein signaling mechanism responsible for this remains unclear. Thus, electroacupuncture may be a viable clinical treatment to prevent and/or slow muscle atrophy in certain populations.