Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Cryotherapy of acute soft tissue injury has been widely used in clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the histological changes and treatment effect of different cryotherapies on the rats' acute damage of soft tissue.　
METHODS: Neonatal Wistar rats were randomized to normal, model, intermittent cryotherapy and continuous cryotherapy groups. Models of acute damage of soft tissue were established in model, intermittent cryotherapy and continuous cryotherapy groups. In intermittent cryotherapy group, the injury was treated by intermittent cryotherapy with ice bag at 4 °C; in the continuous cryotherapy group, the injury was treated by continuous cryotherapy with ice bag at 4 °C; the model group was not treated. Histological changes were observed at 48 hours. Injury degree was evaluated using injury symptom index.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with model group, the scores of injury symptom index and histology were lower, interleukin-1β expression was reduced, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression was increased in intermittent cryotherapy and continuous cryotherapy groups (P < 0.05). Compared with intermittent cryotherapy group, the scores of injury symptom index and histology were reduced (P < 0.05), interleukin-1β expression was reduced (P < 0.05), and TGF-β1 expression was increased in continuous cryotherapy group (P < 0.05). Results demonstrated that cryotherapy can cure the acute damage of soft tissue by reducing interleukin-1β expression and raising TGF-β1 expression. Continuous cryotherapy is superior over intermittent cryotherapy.