Effects of transcranial pulsed electrical stimulation on fatigue rats

The purpose of the present study was to identify the effects of transcranial pulsed current stimulation of the central nervous system (CNS‑TPCS) on systemic monoamine neurotransmitter changes in rats with exercise fatigue. Nine Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, of which three SD rats with CNS-TPCS, were enrolled in this pilot study. Changes in plasma dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5‑HT) levels were examined using two-way repeated measures anova at seven time points (a fixed time point after the end of the test, 7 days in a row). In the experimental group, DA levels increased significantly over time following CNS‑TPCS, and 5-HT levels increased significantly over time following CNS‑TPCS. In the observation and control groups, DA and 5-HT levels remained unchanged during the experimental. The DA levels of the control group was significantly lower than that of the experimental group and the observation group, while the 5-HT level was significantly higher than that of the experimental group and the observation group. These results suggest that the anti-fatigue properties of CNS-TPCS experimental associated with its fatigue recovery effectiveness in rats with exercise fatigue. Moreover, additional studies are essential to evaluate the potential of DA and 5-HT, and as biomarkers to evaluate the fatigue recovery response to CNS‑TPCS experimental, which could facilitate sports rehabilitation optimization.