Open Access<p>Continuous But Not Pulsed Radiofrequency Current Generated by NeuroTherm NT500 Impairs Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in Human Monocytic Cells THP-1</p>
Author(s) -
Akira Nishioka,
Maiko Kimura,
Eriko Sakamoto,
Hiroshi Nagasaka,
Toshiharu Azma
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of pain research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 49
ISSN - 1178-7090
DOI - 10.2147/jpr.s242204
Subject(s) - pulsed radiofrequency , apoptosis , mitochondrion , membrane potential , medicine , flow cytometry , biophysics , programmed cell death , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , biology , biochemistry , anesthesia , pain relief
The application of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) current to peripheral nerves with conditions related to neuropathic pain is considered to be clinically safe, while it has been reported that the destruction of mitochondria after PRF application was observed by electron microscopy. If it occurs reproducibly, PRF applied to peripheral nerves should provoke neurolysis because the impairment of mitochondria is known as the primary cause of apoptosis.