The modulative effects of microcurrent electrical nerve stimulation on diabetic mice

Diabetes (one of non-communicable diseases) is serious due to its complications, such like, cardiovascular ailments, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, wound gangrene and sexual impotence. Diabetes and associated chronic conditions are rapidly emerging as major health problems. In clinical, there were different drugs for diabetes treatment on different mechanisms. However, there were limited studies on the efficacy of electric stimulations on diabetes therapeutic application. In current study, we try to evaluate the effect of microcurrent electrical nerve stimulation (MENS) on diabetes modulation as an alternative medicine. A total of 36 male ICR mice of 6 weeks old were randomly divided into 4 groups [1] Control, [2] MENS only, [3] diabetes mellitus (DM), [4] DM with MENS. During 8 weeks treatments, the diabetes-associated assessments included body weight, diet utilization, blood glucose measurement, other biochemistries and histopathological observations. The diabetes animal model induced by streptozotocin (STZ) had 180 mg/dl fasting blood glucose (GLU-AC) before MENS intervention. After 3 and 6 weeks administration, the fasting blood glucose (GLU-AC) of DM+MENS group significantly decreased 31.97% and 50.82% (P < 0.0001), respectively, as compared to DM group and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) also demonstrated the similar significant results. The diabetic syndromes of polydipsia and polyphagia were also significantly ameliorated by MENS intervention. In other biochemical indexes, the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hyperinsulinemia, liver functions (aspartate aminotransferase, AST and alanine transaminase, ALT) and kidneys function (blood urea nitrogen, BUN & creatinine) were also significantly mitigated by MENS under diabetes model. The histological observation also showed the MENS administration improved the diabetes-related pathological characteristics in liver, kidney and pancreas tissues. Our results suggest that administration of MENS could significantly improve diabetes animal model on blood sugar homeostasis, diabetic polydipsia, biochemistries, and tissue damage. In the health conditions, the MENS didn’t exist obvious side effects on assessments. Therefore, the MENS could be potential on alternative medicine or supportive applications to future DM therapeutics.