HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: 99/2/739    most recent 00771.2004v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kyparos, A. Articles by Clarke, M. S. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kyparos, A. Articles by Clarke, M. S. F.

Mechanical stimulation of the plantar foot surface attenuates soleus muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb unloading in rats

¹Institute for Space Systems Operations, ²Connective Tissue Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, ³Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston; and ⁴Muscle Research Laboratory, Space Life Science Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Submitted 22 July 2004 ; accepted in final form 31 March 2005

Unloading-induced muscle atrophy occurs in the aging population, bed-ridden patients, and astronauts. This study was designed to determine whether dynamic foot stimulation (DFS) applied to the plantar surface of the rat foot can serve as a countermeasure to soleus muscle atrophy normally observed in hindlimb unloaded (HU) rats. Forty-four mature (6 mo old), male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to ambulatory control, HU alone, HU with active DFS (i.e., plantar contact with active inflation), HU with passive DFS (i.e., plantar contact without active inflation), and HU while wearing a DFS boot with no plantar contact groups. Application of active DFS during HU significantly counteracted the atrophic response by preventing 85% of the reduction in type I myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA) in the soleus while preventing 57% of the reduction in type I myofiber CSA and 43% of the reduction in type IIA myofiber CSA of the medial gastrocnemius muscle. Wearing of a DFS boot without active inflation prevented myofiber atrophy in the soleus of HU animals in a fashion similar to that observed in HU animals that wore an actively inflated DFS boot. However, when a DFS boot without plantar surface contact was worn during HU, no significant protection from HU-induced myofiber atrophy was observed. These results illustrate that the application of mechanical foot stimulation to the plantar surface of the rat foot is an effective countermeasure to muscle atrophy induced by HU.

mechanical foot stimulation; plantar stimulation; sensory receptors; proprioception; skeletal muscle atrophy; soleus; mechanical unloading; rat

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. De-Doncker, M. Kasri, F. Picquet, and M. Falempin Physiologically adaptive changes of the L5 afferent neurogram and of the rat soleus EMG activity during 14 days of hindlimb unloading and recovery J. Exp. Biol., December 15, 2005; 208(24): 4585 - 4592. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]