Begin by randomly dividing the rats into three groups of eight rats each, including control, notexin, and notexin with tuina groups. Remove the hair from the right lower limb with hair removal cream after anesthetizing the rat. Then disinfect the skin with three alternating rounds of iota four disinfecting solution and 75%alcohol in a circular outward motion.
To establish the skeletal muscle injury model, use a one milliliter syringe with a 30 gauge needle to inject the notexin solution intramuscularly into the gastrocnemius muscle in only one leg. Wait for three seconds before pulling out the needle. Inject the rats in the control group with 200 microliters of saline solution.
Move anesthetized rats to empty cages with clean bedding. Visually observe the tissue color and respiratory rate until the rats regain sufficient consciousness. Return the rats to the home cage and typically rear them for 24 hours.
The morphological properties of rat skeletal muscle after injury were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The gastrocnemius muscle injured by notexin injection showed the rupture of many muscle cells compared to controls. The cells were atrophic, necrotic, and irregularly arranged, with a high infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes around the affected area.
