Ameliorative and Renoprotective Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Blood Sugar, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine Levels, and the Islets of Langerhans Weight in Diabetic Mice

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease or disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels as well as impaired carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism due to insulin function insufficiency. Insulin deficiency can be caused by impaired or deficient insulin production by Langerhans beta cells in the pancreas or by a lack of responsiveness of the body's cells to insulin. This study aims to the effects of electrostimulation on the ameliorative (improves disease manifestations) or renoprotective (protects the kidneys) in a diabetic rat model using noninvasive (electrical stimulation with the magnetic and nonmagnetic electrode) and invasive (using needles) methods. This study used 25 female rats, with a normal control group (KN), a diabetes control group (KD), a needle treatment group (A), an electro-stimulator treatment group with a magnetic electrode (M), and an ES group with a nonmagnetic electrode (ES) (L). The electro-stimulator used AES-05 with a magnetic field strength of 90 mT at two acupoints, Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23). The treatment was administered 12 times in one month with a therapy time of 6.6 minutes per session. Body weight and blood sugar levels were compared before and after the treatment. After treatment, the diameter of the islets of Langerhans, as well as levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), was measured. Furthermore, statistical analysis was performed (α = 0.05). The results of this study showed that electrical stimulation treatments with needle-invasive, noninvasive magnetic electrodes, and nonmagnetic electrodes significantly reduced diabetic rats’ blood glucose levels before and after the treatment. The analysis of the diameter of the islets of Langerhans revealed a significant difference between the treatment groups. The analysis of creatinine levels revealed a significant difference between groups, but creatinine levels in the group with the magnetic electrode (0.58 ± 0.17 mg/dL) were not significantly different from the control group (0.58 ± 0.07 mg/dL). The BUN test results revealed a significant difference compared with the diabetic control group, but no significant difference with the magnetic electrode treatment group. Conclusion. Based on the results, the most effective therapy for diabetes is a noninvasive method with magnetic (M) electrodes.