# MAINTENANCE OF QUALITY OF AGING BONE WITH ELECTRICITY

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 1987 · $45,360

## Abstract

It is the long-term objective of the proposed research to determine the
electrical parameters required to prevent and reverse the loss of bone mass
that occurs in osteoporosis.  The sciatic neurectomized rat tibia will be
continued to be used to complete the search for an optimal capacitively
coupled electrical signal required to reverse an existing denervation
disuse osteoporosis.  The castrated rat vertebrae will be used as a hormone
deficiency osteoporosis.  In both osteoporosis models, various electrical
signals will be evaluated as to their ability to reverse bone mass loss as
determined by wet, dry, and ash weights and mechanical testing.  The
electrical field and current density induced in the rat tibia and vertebral
body will be calculated such that the stage will be set to translate these
findings into clinical application of the use of capacitive coupling in
treating/preventing osteoporosis in the human.

The proposed research will determine the dose-response characteristics of
various capacitively coupled fields and various mechanical stresses on
isolated bone cell 3H-thymidine, 35S, and 14C-proline incorporation, on
cAMP and prostaglandin E2 synthesis, and on calcium flux into and out of
the cell as determined by Quin-2, an intracellular calcium indicator.
Indomethacin, a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, and verapamil, an agent
which blocks membrane calcium channels dependent upon membrane
depolarization, will be used to try to identify possible mechanisms of
action of electrical and mechanical perturbations of isolated bone cells.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155597
- **Project number:** 5R01AR027974-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GM1XX56LEP58
- **Principal Investigator:** Carl T. Brighton
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $45,360
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1981-07-01 → 1987-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155597

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155597, MAINTENANCE OF QUALITY OF AGING BONE WITH ELECTRICITY (5R01AR027974-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155597. Licensed CC0.

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