Spinal cord plasticity includes spontaneous neuronal plasticity and task-dependent plasticity which was respectively driven by spinal cord injury and special treatment.Spontaneous plasticity occurred at neuronal and synaptic sites,displaying various forms of axonal sprouting,unmasking of relatively ineffective functional connections and modification of synaptic efficacy.Task-dependent plasticity demonstrated reactivation of central generator pattern and functional reorganization of extensive spinal circuits.Exploration,induction and guidance of spinal cord plasticity will help determine the most optimal treatments and expand therapy methods to further promote function recovery of patients with spinal cord injury.

Objective To determine the effect of walking in water on patients with spinal cord injury~SCI). Methods Twenty SCI patients were recruited in this study, and these patients were randomly divided into a control group ~10 cases) and an experiment group~10 cases).The patients of the experiment group were administered aqua-walking and conventional physical therapy~PT),and the patients of control group were administered the conventional PT only. Results After 10 weeks of therapy, the muscle tone, motor index score and functional ambulation classification of experiment group were ameliorated significantly in comparison with the control group(P

p38 signaling pathway is an important branch of mitogen-activated protein kinase（MAPK)-mediated signal transduction pathway. It plays pivotal roles in various physiological and pathological events, such as inflammation, cell stress, apoptosis, cell cycle and growth. Previous research in osteoarthritis, p38 participation was found in the inflammatory factors activate, cartilage cell apoptosis etc. Disc degeneration, also associated with inflammatory response, apoptosis and pathological changes which p38 MAPK signaling pathways role is not clear. Some reports about this area are reviewed in this article.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of aerobic exercise training on plasma apolipoprotein in severe simple obese children.Methods7 severe simple obese children had 10 week exercise training and plasma apolipoprotein AⅠ(ApoAI) and B (ApoB) were tested before and after training. ResultsComparing with the control group, the ApoB in obese children increased significantly <0.01) and reduced after aerobic exercise training (P<0.05). The ApoAⅠ in obese children showed a decreasing intendcy (P>0.05). ConclusionThe aerobic exercise training may improve the plasma apolipoprotein.

Mechanical loading provides an anabolic stimulus for bone. Low frequency vibration is a kind of mechanic stimulus, which can promote osteogenesis in certain frequency, mode and intensity. The osteogenesis promotion of low frequency vibration may be associated with the membrane ion channels, integrin-cytoskeleton complex triggering mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal and second messengers regulating RANK-RANKL-OPG axals.

The neurotransmitter plays an important role in the neurologic functional recovery of animals and patients with spinal cord injury. This article reviews the neurotransmitters in spinal cord injured of rats and the effect of some therapy on them.

Objective To observe the effect of low frequency vibration (LFV) on bone metabolism, bone mass density (BMD), bone histomorphometric and biomechanical characterization in rats with secondary osteoporosis (OP) after spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsSCI model was established with 50 SD rats by transecting spinal cord completely at the level of tenth thoracic vertebra, and the animals were randomly divided into 5 groups: SCI 6-week control group, SCI 12-week control group, vibration 6-week (Vi 6w) group, vibration 12-week (Vi 12w) group and vibration 6-12 week (Vi 6-12w) group. All rats of vibration groups accepted LFV (frequency=20 Hz, acceleration=0.15 g) with 10 minutes once, twice per day, and 6 days per week. The LFV was given from the forth day postoperation to the end of the sixth week in Vi 6w group, and to the end of twelfth week in Vi 12w group, while from the seventh week postoperation to the end of twelfth week in Vi 6-12w group. All animals were sacrificed when LFV test finishied. The serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone glaprotein (BGP) and serum calcium (Ca2+)/BMD of femur and the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5)/bone histomorphometric characterization of tibia/bone biomechanical characterization of femur and L5 were measured.ResultsCompared with control groups, the serum Ca2+ and BMD of promixal femur improved significantly in rats of Vi 6w group ( P<0.05), while the maximal load of L5 increased significantly in rats of Vi 12 group ( P<0.05). There were no changes in rats of Vi 6-12w group ( P>0.05).ConclusionThe early treatment of LFV may improve the secondary OP of rats with SCI, but the effect is different in different sites of rats' body. The late treatment of LFV can't improve the secondary OP, but may keep rats with SCI from deteriorating.

Objective To investigate the effects of rolipram on neurofunction and the ultrastructure of the spinal cord in rats with spinal cord contusion.Methods Thirty adult,female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received spinal cord contusion at the T10 level.They were then randomited into an experimental group and a control group immediately after the operation.Rats in the experimental group received subcutaneous injections of 0.25mg/kg of rolipram twice daily for two weeks.Control rats received the same dosage of 0.9％ sodium chloride solution on the same schedule.The rats'functional recovery was evaluated using the open-field locomotion rating scale of Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB score),once a week within the 1st month after spinal cord injury (SCI),and once every two weeks subsequently.The morphology of the spinal cord tissue around the lesion site was observed under the light microscope with HE staining at the 8th week postoperation,and the ultrastructure of the spinal cord was observed under the transmission electron microscope at the 2nd,4th and 8th week postoperation.Results At the 2nd and 3rd week after SCI the experimental group exhibited significandy greater improvement in average BBB scores than the control group.However,the average BBB scores in the experimental and control groups were not significantly different at 8 weeks after SCI.Under the light microscope,cavities were observed in the posterior dorsal column near the SCI in both the experimental and control groups.However thick,condensed glial scars in the injured area were observed only in the control group.The density of glial cells decreased more in the experimental group than in the control group.Transmission electron microscopy revealed that,compared with the control group,inflammatory edema was attenuated and fewer axons were damaged at the 2nd week postoperation in the experimental group.That group also showed less axon degeneration as well as more angiogenesis at the 4th and 8th week.Conclusion Rolipram can reduce secondary neuron degeneration,inhibit gliosis and the formation of glial scars,and promote angiogenesis.

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.

Objective To investigate endplate shape in low lumbar spine in patients with herniated nucleus pulposus, and analyze the relationshipbetween endplate shape and herniation of intervertebral disc, Modic changes. Methods The preoperative MRI of 110 patients wasreviewed. The endplate shape was divided into 3 types. Disc degeneration was classified with the Pfirrmann's way. Results Concave typewas the most common in the lower lumbar spine. Flat was more prevalent in lower than in upper. The L5~S1 segment was flat in most cases.Irregular type was the least and mainly appeared at the L5~S1 segment. Disc degeneration worsened from concave, flat, to irregular. Herniatedintervertebral disc dominated with flat and irregular endplates, and no-herniated ones dominated with concave. Modic changes more associatedwith irregular endplates. Conclusion Endplate shape may respond to the disc degeneration. Modic changes associate with irregularendplate.