• P Boulétreau, M C Patricot, F Saudin, M Guiraud, and B Mathian.
• Ann Fr Anesth Reanim. 1986 Jan 1; 5 (4): 376-80.

AbstractAre muscular contractions obtained by electrical stimulation able to reduce muscle catabolism in immobilized patients? Ten patients (65 to 79 yr old), hospitalized in an intensive care unit for postoperative failure or cerebral infarction, were studied during nine days. Artificial nutrition was the same for each patient during the study. Two periods of four days where defined and randomized for each patient, separated by one day; during the stimulation period (S), intermittent electrical stimulation of the muscles of the legs (external electrodes) was performed daily 2 X 30 min; during the non-stimulation period (NS), muscular stimulation was not performed. Urinary excretion of nitrogen (micro-Kjeldhal digestion and Nessler procedure), creatinine (Jaffé reaction) and 3-methylhistidine were measured every day. Results (X +/- SD) are as follows: the nitrogen balance (g/d) was -1.29 +/- 1.26 during the NS period and 1.43 +/- 1.10 during the S period (NS); 3-methylhistidine (mumol/kg/d) was 3.78 +/- 0.37 during the NS period and 3.15 +/- 0.32 during the S period (p less than 0.01); creatinine (mumol/kg/d) was 92.9 +/- 6.8 during the NS period and 72.9 +/- 25 during the S period (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that a significant decrease in 3-methylhistidine and creatinine excretions is observed during the S period. In intensive care unit patients, muscle protein breakdown may be influenced by intermittent electrical muscle stimulation.

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