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

Figure 9

Comparisons of GDF-8 (a) and p-Smad2/3 (b) expression in different groups on days 7, 14, and 28 after contusion. The density of collagen and expression of GDF-8 and p-Smad2/3 in the contusion group were higher than those in the normal group (𝑃<0.01). The EA group had less expression than the contusion group (𝑃<0.05 or 𝑃<0.01) but markedly higher expression than the rhIGF-I group (𝑃<0.01). Contusion versus normal, ^★𝑃<0.05, ^★★𝑃<0.01; and EA versus contusion, ^#𝑃<0.05, ^##𝑃<0.01; EA versus rhIGF- I, ^▴𝑃<0.05, ^▴▴𝑃<0.01 (𝑛=5).

(a)

(b)