title: Recovery from spinal cord injury mediated by antibodies to neurite growth inhibitors.
abstract: There is little axonal growth after central nervous system (CNS) injury in adult mammals. The administration of antibodies (IN-1) to neutralize the myelin-associated neurite growth inhibitory proteins leads to long-distance regrowth of a proportion of CNS axons after injury. Our aim was: to determine if spinal cord lesion in adult rats, followed by treatment with antibodies to neurite growth inhibitors, can lead to regeneration and anatomical plasticity of other spinally projecting pathways; to determine if the anatomical projections persist at long survival intervals; and to determine whether this fibre growth is associated with recovery of function. We report here that brain stem-spinal as well as corticospinal axons undergo regeneration and anatomical plasticity after application of IN-1 antibodies. There is a recovery of specific reflex and locomotor functions after spinal cord injury in these adult rats. Removal of the sensorimotor cortex in IN-1-treated rats 2-3 months later abolished the recovered contact-placing responses, suggesting that the recovery was dependent upon the regrowth of these pathways.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology; D002455:Cell Division; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D008124:Locomotion; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012018:Reflex; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors