scholarly journals Neuroprotective Effects of Different Modalities of Acupuncture on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song-he Jiang ◽  
Wen-zhan Tu ◽  
En-miao Zou ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Sai Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Tunel Staining ◽  
New York University ◽  
Neuronal Function ◽  
Activity Increase ◽  
Function Recovery ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Anti Inflammation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can induce a series of histological, biochemical, and functional changes. Acupuncture is commonly used for SCI patients. Using male rats of spinal cord injury with the New York University (NYU) Impactor, we investigated the response of electroacupuncture (EA), manual acupuncture (MA), and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) at Shuigou (DU26) and Fengfu (DU16) acupoints to understand the effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in neuroprotection and neuronal function recovery after SCI. Histological study showed a restored neural morphology and an increase in the quantity of neurons after EA, MA, and TAES administrations. Acupuncture's antioxidation effects were demonstrated by alleviation of the post-SCI superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increase and malondialdehyde (MDA) level decrease. The anti-inflammation effect of acupuncture was shown as the reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) when SCI was treated. And the antiapoptosis role was approved by TUNEL staining. Our data confirmed that the role of acupuncture in neuroprotection and dorsal neuronal function recovery after rat SCI, especially, EA stimulating at Shuigou (DU26) and Fengfu (DU16) can greatly promote neuronal function recovery, which may result from antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and antiapoptosis effects of acupuncture.

scholarly journals Effects of Electroacupuncture at Governor Vessel Acupoints on Neurotrophin-3 in Rats with Experimental Spinal Cord Injury

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-ping Mo ◽  
Hai-jiang Yao ◽  
Wei Lv ◽  
Liang-yu Song ◽  
Hong-tao Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Tunel Staining ◽  
Spinal Cord Tissue ◽  
Neuronal Function ◽  
Noninvasive Treatment ◽  
Neurotrophin 3 ◽  
Function Recovery ◽  
Cord Injury

In an effort to explore new, noninvasive treatment options for spinal cord injuries (SCI), this study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) for SCI rat models. SCI was induced by a modified Allen’s weight-drop method. We investigated the response of EA at Dazhui (GV 14) and Mingmen (GV 4) acupoints to understand the effects and mechanisms of EA in neuroprotection and neuronal function recovery after SCI. BBB testing was used to detect motor function of rats’ hind limbs among groups, and EA was shown to promote the recovery of SCI rats’ motor function. Nissl staining showed a restored neural morphology and an increase in the quantity of neurons after EA. Also, the antiapoptosis role was exposed by TUNEL staining. Western blotting analysis was used to determine the protein expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in spinal cord tissue. Compared to the sham group, the expression levels of NT-3 were significantly decreased and EA was shown to upregulate the expression of NT-3. The present study suggests that the role of EA in neuroprotection and dorsal neuronal function recovery after SCI in rats, especially EA stimulation at GV 14 and GV 4, can greatly promote neuronal function recovery, which may result from upregulating the expression of NT-3.

scholarly journals Sesamol Attenuates Neuroinflammation by Regulating the AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway after Spinal Cord Injury in Mice

2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Xiaochu Feng ◽  
Xianghang Chen ◽  
Muhammad Zaeem ◽  
Wanying Zhang ◽  
Liwan Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Neuronal Apoptosis ◽  
Sesame Oil ◽  
Microglial Polarization ◽  
Compound C ◽  
Function Recovery ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Anti Inflammation ◽  
M2 Phenotype

Inflammation is one of the crucial mechanisms mediating spinal cord injury (SCI) progress. Sesamol, a component of sesame oil, has anti-inflammatory activity, but its mechanism in SCI remains unclear. We investigated if the AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway participated in anti-inflammation of sesamol in SCI. Sesamol could inhibit neuronal apoptosis, reduce neuroinflammation, enhance M2 phenotype microglial polarization, and improved motor function recovery in mice after SCI. Furthermore, sesamol increased SIRT1 protein expression and p-AMPK/AMPK ratio, while it downregulated the p-p65/p65 ratio, indicating that sesamol treatment upregulated the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway and inhibited NF-κB activation. However, these effects were blocked by compound C which is a specific AMPK inhibitor. Together, the study suggests that sesamol is a potential drug for antineuroinflammation and improving locomotor functional recovery through regulation of the AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway in SCI.

scholarly journals Photobiomodulation Promotes Repair Following Spinal Cord Injury by Regulating the Transformation of A1/A2 Reactive Astrocytes

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuankang Wang ◽  
Zhihao Zhang ◽  
Zhijie Zhu ◽  
Zhuowen Liang ◽  
Xiaoshuang Zuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Reactive Astrocytes ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Astrocyte Activation ◽  
Cord Injury

After spinal cord injury (SCI), reactive astrocytes can be classified into two distinctive phenotypes according to their different functions: neurotoxic (A1) astrocytes and neuroprotective (A2) astrocytes. Our previous studies proved that photobiomodulation (PBM) can promote motor function recovery and improve tissue repair after SCI, but little is known about the underlying mechanism. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether PBM contributes to repair after SCI by regulating the activation of astrocytes. Male rats subjected to clip-compression SCI were treated with PBM for two consecutive weeks, and the results showed that recovery of motor function was improved, the lesion cavity size was reduced, and the number of neurons retained was increased. We determined the time course of A1/A2 astrocyte activation after SCI by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and verified that PBM inhibited A1 astrocyte activation and promoted A2 astrocyte activation at 7 days postinjury (dpi) and 14 dpi. Subsequently, potential signaling pathways related to A1/A2 astrocyte activation were identified by GO function analysis and KEGG pathway analysis and then studied in animal experiments and preliminarily analyzed in cultured astrocytes. Next, we observed that the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was upregulated by PBM and that both factors contributed to the transformation of A1/A2 astrocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, we found that PBM reduced the neurotoxicity of A1 astrocytes to dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. In conclusion, PBM can promote better recovery after SCI, which may be related to the transformation of A1/A2 reactive astrocytes.

scholarly journals The Effect of Intraspinal Micro Stimulation With Variable Stimulating Pattern in Adult Rat With Induction of Spinal Cord Injury in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Mohaddeseh Hedayatzadeh ◽  
Hamid Reza Kobravi ◽  
Maryam Tehranipour
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Gait Dynamics ◽  
Variable Pattern ◽  
Cord Injury

Background: Spinal cord injury is one of the diseases that, no specific treatment has yet found despite the variety of works that have done in this field. Different approaches to treat such injuries have investigated today. One of them is invasive intra-spinal interventions such as electrical stimulation. Therefore, in this study, the effect of the protocol for intra-spinal variable and fixed electrical stimulation has been investigated in order to recover from spinal cord injury. Methods: In the study, 18 Wistar male rats randomly divided into Three groups, including intraspinal electrical stimulation (IES), IES with variable pattern of stimulation (VP IES) and a sham group. Animals initially subjected to induced spinal cord injury. After one week, the animal movement was recorded on the treadmill during practice using a camera and angles of the ankle joint were measured using the Tracker software. Then, the obtained data were analyzed by nonlinear evaluations in the phase space. Results: The motion analyses and kinematic analyses were carried out on all groups. According to the achieved results, the gait dynamics of the VP IES group has the most conformity to the gait dynamics of the healthy group. Also, the best quality of the balance preservation observed in the VP IES group. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the IES with variable pattern of stimulation along with exercise therapy has significant gait restorative effects and increases the range of motion in rats with induced spinal cord injury.

scholarly journals Reducing Neuron Apoptosis in the Pontine Micturition Center by Nerve Root Transfer for Restoration of Micturition Function after Spinal Cord Injury

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ronghua Yu ◽  
Gang Yin ◽  
Jianguo Zhao ◽  
Huihao Chen ◽  
Depeng Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Nerve Root ◽  
Neuronal Apoptosis ◽  
Nerve Transfer ◽  
Tunel Staining ◽  
Nerve Roots ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Group A ◽  
Group B

Objective. The rate of neuronal apoptosis increases after spinal cord injury (SCI). Anastomosing the normal nerve roots above the SCI level to the injured sacral nerve roots can enhance the functional recovery of neurons. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of sacral nerve root transfer after SCI on pontine neuronal survival. Methods. Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: Group A, reconstruction of afferent and efferent nerve pathways of the bladder after SCI; Group B, SCI only; and Group C, control group. We examined pontine neuronal morphology using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining after SCI and nerve transfer. Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression changes in the pontine micturition center were quantified by immunohistochemistry. The number of apoptotic neurons was determined by TUNEL staining. We examined pontine neuronal apoptosis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at different time points. Results. H&E staining demonstrated that the number of neurons had increased in Group A, but more cells in Group B displayed nuclear pyknosis, with the disappearance of the nucleus. Compared with Group B, Group A had significantly higher Bcl-2 expression, significantly lower Bax expression, and a significantly higher Bcl-2/Bax ratio. The number of apoptotic neurons and neuron bodies in Group A was significantly lower than that in Group B, as indicated by TUNEL staining and TEM. Conclusions. These findings demonstrate that lumbosacral nerve transfer can reduce neuronal apoptosis in the pontine micturition center and enhance functional recovery of neurons. This result further suggests that lumbosacral nerve transfer can be used as a new approach for reconstructing bladder function after spinal cord injury.

FNDC5 expression in Purkinje neurons of adult male rats with acute spinal cord injury following treatment with methylprednisolone

Neuropeptides ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 16-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Hassanzadeh ◽  
Seyed Behnamedin Jameie ◽  
Mehdi Mehdizadeh ◽  
Mansooreh Soleimani ◽  
Zeinab Namjoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Acute Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Purkinje Neurons ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Cord Injury
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