Efeito do campo eletromagnético dinâmico após lesão traumática em fígado de ratos

Abstract

Introduction: The bioeffects that electromagnectic fields (EMF) have on tissues have been reported in several studies, although the effects of electromagnetic therapy on cellular repair process have not been completely elucidated. Despite scientific evidence, the use of EMF on liver injury requires further studies. This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of EMF and to provide further support for its therapeutic use in liver injury. Material and Methods: A total of 20 female 2-month-old Wistar albino rats, randomly assigned to two groups, the control group (C) and EMF group (E), were used. All animals underwent operation and a standard injury was made in the hepatic medial lobe. The E group was exposed to three cycles of EMF. Two hours of electromagnetic therapy was administered to the animals immediately after surgery, and thereafter given every 24 h. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was made to carry out histological studies, and Ki67 and ssDNA staining was employed to carry out immunohistochemical analyses. Statistical Analysis: Group results for quantitative variables were compared using Students t-test. The results for qualitative variables were analyzed using chi-squared test. For all statistical analyses, the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: Severe inflammation, moderate to severe fibroplasia, moderate to severe angiogenesis, necrosis extension area, and regeneration extension area were not different between the groups. In the area of necrosis, there was no significant difference in the expression of Ki67 and ssDNA. In the area of regeneration, there was no significant difference in the expression of ssDNA, but a higher expression of Ki67 was observed in the E group, when compared with that in the C group (25.8 ± 10.7 vs. 13.8 ± 5.9, p=0.007). Conclusion: Electromagnetic therapy in hepatic injury resulted in increased cell proliferation (Ki67) in the area of regeneration. Although histological findings revealed no differences between the groups. Given the potential benefits, research involving the impact of the influence of electromagnetism in pathophysiological mechanisms and cellular liver should be encouraged.