Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Ahmed Almaghasilah
Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Tashawna L Spellen
School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Alexandra D Lewis
School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Karissa Tilbury
Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States; Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Benjamin L King
Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States; Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Joshua B Kelley
Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States; Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, United States; School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, United States
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) allows activation of muscle fibers in the absence of voluntary force generation. NMES could have the potential to promote muscle homeostasis in the context of muscle disease, but the impacts of NMES on diseased muscle are not well understood. We used the zebrafish Duchenne muscular dystrophy (dmd) mutant and a longitudinal design to elucidate the consequences of NMES on muscle health. We designed four neuromuscular stimulation paradigms loosely based on weightlifting regimens. Each paradigm differentially affected neuromuscular structure, function, and survival. Only endurance neuromuscular stimulation (eNMES) improved all outcome measures. We found that eNMES improves muscle and neuromuscular junction morphology, swimming, and survival. Heme oxygenase and integrin alpha7 are required for eNMES-mediated improvement. Our data indicate that neuromuscular stimulation can be beneficial, suggesting that the right type of activity may benefit patients with muscle disease.
