Objective     To investigate the role and its mechanism of massage on the recovery of damaged skeletal muscle.      Methods     A total of 24 adult male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups

normal con

trol (n=3)

self-repairing group (n=15

further divided into 7

14 and 21 d time points)

and massage group (n=12

further divided into 7 and 14 d time points). The quadriceps femoris injured models were established by hammering the muscle with self-made lead hitter. Massage was given from the 8 d after the model establishment with the aid of a massager at 3 000 to 3 100 r/min

for 15 min once per day for 7 or 14 d. In the end of experiment

the animals were killed and muscle samples of 1.5 cm×1.0 cm×0.5 cm were removed from quadriceps femoris. HE staining was used to detect the pathologic change. Nachlas dyeing or Wachstein-Meisel was used to detect the activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) or K

+

-Na

+

-ATPase of quadriceps femoris tissue from massage therapeutic and unmassaged rabbits.       Results     Obvious broken muscular fibers

muscle atrophy

and tortuosity of muscle fibers were observed in self-repairing tissue. The non-homogenous and diffusive echoes were detected in the unmassaged quadriceps femoris with disappearing muscular texture. And the homogenous and weak diffusive echoes were tested in the massaged recovery quadriceps femoris. Comparing with its controls

the activity of SDH was increased in massaged 7 d rabbits (0.0033±0.0002 vs 0.0022±0.0002

P0.01) and massaged 14 d rabbits (0.0039±0.0002 vs 0.0032±0.0001

P0.01). More I-type muscular fibers were found in the massaged rabbits than in the control rabbits [7 d group: (38.6±2.6)% vs (25.1±1.7)%

P0.01; 14 d group: (56.2±4.5)% vs (30.3±2.1)%

P0.01

]

. The activity of K

+

-Na

+

-ATPase was also increased by 47% (P0.01) and 72% (P0.01) respectively in massaged 7 d and 14 d rabbits when compared with corresponding self-repairing groups.       Conclusion     Massage promotes the recovery of injured muscle through stimulating activity of SDH and K

+

-Na

+

-ATPase.