• Shuangxi Chen, Yuhui Hou, Zhikai Zhao, Yunhao Luo, Shiqin Lv, Qianghua Wang, Jing Li, Liumin He, Libing Zhou, and Wutian Wu.
• Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
• Neuroscience. 2019 Apr 15; 404: 510-518.

AbstractBrachial plexus root avulsion (BPRA) results in the complete loss of motor function in the upper limb, mainly due to the death of spinal motoneurons (MNs). The survival of spinal MNs is the key to the recovery of motor function. Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) plays fundamental roles in nervous system development and nerve repair. However, its functional role in BPRA remains unclear. On the basis of our findings that Nrg1 is down-regulated in the ventral horn in a mouse model of BPRA, Nrg1 may be associated with BPRA. Here, we investigated whether recombinant Nrg1β (rNrg1β) can enhance the survival of spinal MNs and improve functional recovery in mice following BPRA. In vitro studies on primary cultured mouse MNs showed that rNrg1β increased the survival rate in a dose-dependent manner, reaching a peak at 5 nM, which increased the survival rate and enhanced the pERK levels in MNs under H2O2-induced oxidative stress. In vivo studies revealed that rNrg1β improved the functional recovery of elbow flexion, promoted the survival of MNs, enhanced the re-innervation of biceps brachii, and decreased the muscle atrophy. These results suggest that Nrg1 may provide a potential therapeutic strategy for root avulsion.Copyright © 2019 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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