title: Graft of pre-injured sural nerve promotes regeneration of corticospinal tract and functional recovery in rats with chronic spinal cord injury.
abstract: A possible treatment approach for chronic spinal cord injuries has been tested. We report that minced, autologous, pre-injured peripheral nerve administered as a single injection into an injury-induced cyst, resulting from a contusion injury of the thoracic spinal cord, stimulates recovery of hindlimb locomotor function in rats, as measured by the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale. This response was further enhanced by the addition of exogenous neurotrophic factors. Histological analysis showed axons of the corticospinal tract exhibited significant regeneration past the injury site, when quantified both by number and length. Results indicate that the use of a pre-injured peripheral nerve graft stimulates chronically injured descending nerves to overcome a local inhibitory environment. The resulting sprouting and growth past the injury site is associated with a significant improvement in locomotor function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University School of Medicine, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia.
authors.forename: Shi-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xin-Fu
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors