[Effect of electro-acupuncture and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation on experimental diabetes and its...

In this paper, the experimental diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin (STZ, i.p. 50 mg/kg) were divided into three groups, electro-acupuncture (EA group, n = 8), transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS group, n = 8), at bilateral Shenshu and Zusanli points for 20 minutes once every 2-3 days for five weeks, and without any treatment (DM group, n = 6) respectively. As compared with the DM group, the increased plasma glucose levels was lowered significantly in EA group (P < 0.05) and slightly in TENS group (P > 0.05) by the end of the sixth week. And the symtoms of polyphagia, polydipsia and polyuria were attenuated in EA group. The motor nerve conduction velocity slowing was prevented or corrected after a course of four and six weeks treatment in EA and TENS group respectively. In the DM and TENS groups the pain threshold was lowered at 6-20 days after injection of STZ, but elevated in EA group, their differences were of significance (P < 0.05). In general, the efficiency of EA treatment on experimental diabetes and its neuropathy was better than that of TENS therapy.