Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2021
Governor Vessel Electro-Acupuncture Promotes the Intrinsic Growth Ability of Spinal Neurons through Activating Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide/α-Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase/Neurotrophin-3 Pathway after Spinal Cord Injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) invariably results in neuronal death and failure of axonal regeneration. This is attributed mainly to the hostile microenvironment and the poor intrinsic regrowth capacity of the injured spinal neurons. We have reported previously that electro-acupuncture on Governor Vessel acupoints (GV-EA) can promote neuronal survival and axonal regeneration of injured spinal cord. ⋯ More importantly, increase in NT-3 promoted the survival, axonal regrowth, and synaptic maintenance of spinal cord neurons in the injured spinal cord. Therefore, it is concluded that increase in NT-3 production is one of the mechanisms by which GV-EA can activate the intrinsic growth ability of spinal neurons after SCI. The experimental results have reinforced the theoretical basis of GV-EA for its clinical efficacy in patients with SCI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2021
Trends in Demographics and Markers of Injury Severity in Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.
Over the past four decades, there have been progressive changes in the epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). We assessed trends in demographic and injury-related variables in traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (tCSCI) patients over an 18-year period at a single Level I trauma center. We included all magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed tCSCI patients ≥15 years of age for years 2001-2018. ⋯ In adjusted regression models, increase in age and decreases in prevalence of MVC mechanism and complete injuries over time remained statistically significant. Changes in demographic and injury-related characteristics of tCSCI patients over time may help explain the observed improvement in outcomes. Further, improved clinical outcomes and drop in IMLL may reflect improvements in initial risk assessment and pre-hospital management, advances in healthcare delivery, and preventive measures including public education.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2021
Spinal dopaminergic mechanisms regulating the micturition reflex in male rats with complete spinal cord injury.
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often causes micturition dysfunction. We recently discovered a low level of spinally-derived dopamine (DA) that regulates recovered bladder and sphincter reflexes in SCI female rats. Considering substantial sexual dimorphic features in the lower urinary tract, it is unknown if the DA-ergic mechanisms act in the male. ⋯ Further, intrathecal delivery of SCH 23390 and quinpirole resulted in similar responses to those with i.v. delivery, respectively, which indicates the central action regardless of delivery route. In addition, metabolic cage assays showed that quinpirole increased the voiding frequency and total voiding volume in spontaneous micturition. Collectively, spinal DA-ergic machinery regulates recovered micturition reflex following SCI in male rats; spinal DR1 tonically suppress tonic EUS activity to enable voiding and activation of DR2 facilitates voiding.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2021
Intensive locomotor training provides sustained alleviation of chronic spinal cord injury associated neuropathic pain: A 2-year preclinical study.
Neuropathic pain often accompanies the functional deficits associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) and further reduces a patient's quality of life. Clinical and pre-clinical research is beginning to highlight the beneficial role that rehabilitative therapies such as locomotor training can have not only on functional recovery but also on chronic pain management. Our group has previously developed an intensive locomotor training (ILT) treadmill protocol on rats that reduced SCI neuropathic pain symptoms for at least 3 months. ⋯ In addition, prolonged survival and improved locomotor outcomes were observed in rats undergoing ILT as the study longevity progressed. Potential contributory mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of ILT include reduced inflammation and restoration of anti-nociceptive inhibitory processes as indicated by neurochemical assays in spinal tissue of remaining rats at 2 years post-SCI. The benefits of chronic ILT suggest that long-term physical exercise therapy can produce powerful and prolonged management of neuropathic pain, partly through sustained reduction of spinal pathological processes.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2021
Regionally specific human pre-oligodendrocyte progenitor cells produce both oligodendrocytes and neurons after transplantation in a chronically injured spinal cord rat model after glial scar ablation.
Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating medical condition. In the acute phase after injury, there is cell loss resulting in chronic axonal damage and loss of sensory and motor function including loss of oligodendrocytes that results in demyelination of axons and further dysfunction. In the chronic phase, the inhibitory environment within the lesion including the glial scar can arrest axonal growth and regeneration and can also potentially affect transplanted cells. ⋯ Twelve weeks after cell transplantation, we observed that more of the transplanted cells differentiated into oligodendrocytes when the glial scar was ablated compared with no GSA. Further, we also observed that a higher percentage of transplanted cells differentiated into V2a interneurons and motor neurons in the pre-OPCs only group when compared with GSA+pre-OPCs. This suggests that the local environment created by ablation of the glial scar may have a significant effect on the fate of cells transplanted into the injury site.