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Peer-reviewedCC BYActa cirurgica brasileira

Electroacupuncture following microsurgical neurorrhaphy: functional and histological outcomes in a rat model.

  • Felipe Giraldo Alvarez Gonçalves1,2
  • Liaw Wen Chao3
  • Emily Caroline da Fonseca Sampaio1,2
  • Adriano Augusto Domingos Neto1,2
  • Luiza Rafih Abud1,2
  • André Salo Buslik Hazan4,5
  • Fausto Viterbo6
  • Rolf Gemperli1,2
  • Cristina Pires Camargo2
  • Wu Tu Hsing3
6 affiliations
  1. 1Universidade de São Paulo - School of Medicine - Department of Surgery - São Paulo (SP) - Brazil.
  2. 2Universidade de São Paulo - School of Medicine - Laboratory of Plastic Surgery and Regenerative Medicine - São Paulo (SP) - Brazil.
  3. 3Universidade de São Paulo - Center of Acupuncture - Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology - São Paulo (SP) - Brazil.
  4. 4Sociedade Brasileira de Microcirurgia Reconstrutiva - Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - Brazil.
  5. 5Asociación Latinoamericana de Microcirurgía - Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - Brazil.
  6. 6Universidade Estadual Paulista - School of Medicine - Department of Plastic Surgery - Botucatu (SP) - Brazil.
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Abstract

Purpose

This study evaluated electroacupuncture (EA) as adjunctive therapy after peripheral nerve repair in a rat model.Methods

Male Wistar rats underwent right sciatic nerve transection followed by neurorrhaphy and were randomized into EA or control groups. EA was performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. Sensory and motor recovery were assessed by nociceptive, mechanical, thermal, and sciatic functional index tests. Histological analyses evaluated Schwann cell and vascular densities, and gastrocnemius muscle weight was measured at euthanasia.Results

Sensory recovery was significantly greater in the EA group, with higher pain (3 [3-3.75] versus 2 [1-2], p = 0.02), pressure (2.5 [1.25-3] versus 0 [0-1], p = 0.009), and thermal sensitivity scores (2 [2-2.75] versus 0 [0-0], p = 0.02). Motor recovery and vascular density did not differ between groups. Distal Schwann cell density was significantly higher in the EA group (73.5 [67.4-74.1] versus 34.7 [34.5-38.4], p = 0.014). Gastrocnemius muscle weight was reduced in operated limbs in both groups, without intergroup differences.Conclusion

EA improved sensory recovery and increased distal Schwann cell density, supporting its potential as an adjunctive therapy after peripheral nerve repair.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{goncalves2026electroacupuncture,
  title = {{Electroacupuncture following microsurgical neurorrhaphy: functional and histological outcomes in a rat model.}},
  author = {Felipe Giraldo Alvarez Gonçalves and Liaw Wen Chao and Emily Caroline da Fonseca Sampaio and Adriano Augusto Domingos Neto and Luiza Rafih Abud and André Salo Buslik Hazan and Fausto Viterbo and Rolf Gemperli and Cristina Pires Camargo and Wu Tu Hsing},
  journal = {Acta cirurgica brasileira},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1590/acb415726},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42912005},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Electroacupuncture following microsurgical neurorrhaphy: functional and histological outcomes in a rat model.
AU  - Felipe Giraldo Alvarez Gonçalves
AU  - Liaw Wen Chao
AU  - Emily Caroline da Fonseca Sampaio
AU  - Adriano Augusto Domingos Neto
AU  - Luiza Rafih Abud
AU  - André Salo Buslik Hazan
AU  - Fausto Viterbo
AU  - Rolf Gemperli
AU  - Cristina Pires Camargo
AU  - Wu Tu Hsing
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/19
JO  - Acta cirurgica brasileira
DO  - 10.1590/acb415726
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42912005
AB  - Purpose  This study evaluated electroacupuncture (EA) as adjunctive therapy after peripheral nerve repair in a rat model.Methods  Male Wistar rats underwent right sciatic nerve transection followed by neurorrhaphy and were randomized into EA or control groups. EA was performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. Sensory and motor recovery were assessed by nociceptive, mechanical, thermal, and sciatic functional index tests. Histological analyses evaluated Schwann cell and vascular densities, and gastrocnemius muscle weight was measured at euthanasia.Results  Sensory recovery was significantly greater in the EA group, with higher pain (3 [3-3.75] versus 2 [1-2], p = 0.02), pressure (2.5 [1.25-3] versus 0 [0-1], p = 0.009), and thermal sensitivity scores (2 [2-2.75] versus 0 [0-0], p = 0.02). Motor recovery and vascular density did not differ between groups. Distal Schwann cell density was significantly higher in the EA group (73.5 [67.4-74.1] versus 34.7 [34.5-38.4], p = 0.014). Gastrocnemius muscle weight was reduced in operated limbs in both groups, without intergroup differences.Conclusion  EA improved sensory recovery and increased distal Schwann cell density, supporting its potential as an adjunctive therapy after peripheral nerve repair.
SN  - 0102-8650
SN  - 1678-2674
ER  -