The Time Course Effects of Electroacupuncture on Promoting Skeletal Muscle Regeneration and Inhibiting Excessive Fibrosis after Contusion in Rabbits

Figure 3

DAB staining of MHC on days 7, 14, and 28 after contusion (×400) (a). The comparison of the MHC levels on days 7, 14, and 28 post-contusion (b). Positive expression of MHC in the cytoplasm of regenerative myofibers stains brown. MHC staining was weak in the normal group and weaker in the contusion group. MHC staining in the EA and rhIGF-I groups was enhanced, particularly in the rhIGF-I group. In the contusion group, the MHC level was significantly higher than that in the normal group (𝑃<0.01 or 𝑃<0.05), while the EA group was dramatically higher than the contusion group (𝑃<0.01) but lower than the rhIGF-I group (𝑃<0.01). Contusion versus normal, ^★𝑃<0.05, ^★★𝑃<0.01; EA versus contusion, ^#𝑃<0.05, ^##𝑃<0.01; and EA versus rhIGF-I, ^▴𝑃<0.05, ^▴▴𝑃<0.01 (𝑛=5).

(a)

(b)