Spinal cord plasticity and the effect of step training on functional recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-1424.2010.09.002
- VernacularTitle:步行训练对不完全性脊髓损伤大鼠损伤部位周围组织可塑性的影响
- Author:
Chaoqun YE
;
Tiansheng SUN
;
Yanhua CAI
;
Feng YUE
;
Congcong QIN
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Incomplete spinal cord injury;
Step training;
Plasticity
- From:
Chinese Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
2010;32(9):645-648
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore neural plasticity around an injured region of the spinal cord and the effects of step training on functional recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats ( n = 24) were induced with spinal cord contusion at T10 and divided into a step training group and a control group ( 12 rats in each). Training started from the 7th day post-injury and lasted for (20 ± 10)min per day, 5 days per week, for 9 weeks. Treadmill speeds were 3 m/min at the beginning, and adjusted daily according to each rat's tolerance up to 11 m/min or more. The functional recovery was measured weekly with the open-field locomotor rating scale of Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB score). The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament protein (NF) and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) in the spinal cord around the injured region were detected. Results After 70 days of step training, the average BBB score of the step training group reached ( 12.86 ± 0.94 ), significantly higher than that of the control group ( 10.71 ± 0.95 ). The expression of NF and GAP-43 around the injured region increased significantly more in the step training group than among the controls. Conclusions Step training can promote functional recovery and neural plasticity in rats after incomplete SCI.
