Electrical Stimulation Promotes Healing Accompanied by NOR in Keratinocytes and IGF-1 mRNA Expression in Skin Wound of Rat

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the high voltage pulsed Current (HVPC) stimulation on the healing rate and the proliferative activity of keratinocytes and IGF-I mRNA expression of an incisional wound in rat skin. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats ($265{\sim}290g$) were randomly divided into HVPC (n=10) and control group (n=10). Rats received 10 mm length of full-thickness incision wound on the back under the anesthesia. The HVPC group received electrical stimulation with a Current intensity of 50 V at 100 pps for a duration of 30 minutes, while the control group was given the same treatment without electricity for a week. Polarity was negative in first three days and positive thereafter. The wound length was measured and evaluated as percentage. The mean number of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) per nucleus and level of IGF-I mRNA expression were calculated. The mean percent of wound closure were $51.17{\pm}17.76%$ and $80.71{\pm}11.91%$, respectively, in the sham treated control and HVPC stimulated groups (t=-4.308, P<0.001). The mean NOR number per nucleus of the keratinocytes in the control and HVPC group were $1.85{\pm}0.20$ and $2.70{\pm}0.23$, respectively (t=8.638, P<0.001). The IGF-I mRNA level were $0.76{\pm}0.44$ and $1.32{\pm}0.41$, respectively, in the control and HVPC stimulated wounds (t=2.906, P<0.01). There was a positive correlation between the mean NOR number per nucleus and IGF-l mRNA level with a Pearson product moment correlation coefficient of 0.72 (P<0.05). These findings suggest that the HVPC may activate the rRNA of the basal keratinocytes and upregulate the IGF-I mRNA levels by alteration of the electrical environment, and it may increase proliferative activity of the keratinocytes in the skin wound of the rat.