Investigation of the therapeutic effect of electro-acupuncture and physical exercise in mice with sciatic nerve crush damage

The incidence of peripheral nerve damage is high. Partial or complete loss of sensory and motor functions, physical disability and neuropathic pain may develop in the affected limb. This can affect quality of life, lead to loss of work, economic problems and psychological trauma. Under normal conditions, injured peripheral nerves can regenerate and reinnervate their target organs. However, despite modern diagnostic procedures, various non-surgical approaches including pharmacological, electrical, cell-based, cell-based, laser therapies, and advanced microsurgical techniques, functional recovery after peripheral nerve repair is often unsatisfactory. This study was designed to compare the roles of physical exercise and electroacupuncture in promoting regeneration and functional recovery in a mouse model of a crushed sciatic nerve. For this study, 50 mice were randomly assigned (n=10) to five groups as Control, Crush Injury, Crush Injury+Exercise, Crush Injury+Electroacupuncture and Crush Injury+Exercise+Electroacupuncture (combined treatment). Sciatic nerve crush injury was induced in the left thigh region of mice except the control group. To trigger regeneration and functional recovery after the injury, animals were subjected to aerobic exercise on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a speed of 10 m/min, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Electroacupuncture was applied to acupuncture points GB30 and GB34 in the damaged hind leg for 13 sessions 3 days a week. Functional sensory recovery was evaluated by thermal hyperalgesia and tail flick tests. Functional motor improvement was evaluated by sciatic function index (SFI) and electromyography tests. Structurally, degenerative and regenerative changes in sciatic nerve and muscle tissue were evaluated by immunofluorescence imaging and ImageJ software. All treatment groups showed significant improvement in sensory and motor function, structurally better expression and regeneration of neurofilament (axon skeleton) and acetylcholine receptors. Combined treatment with physical exercise and electroacupuncture provided the earliest and most effective treatment, further increasing treatment success. Further preclinical and clinical studies are recommended to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of therapeutic efficacy.