title: Role of Neurotrophin 3 in spinal neuroplasticity in rats subjected to cord transection.
abstract: That neuroplasticity occurs in mammalian spinal cord is well known, though the underlying mechanism still awaits elucidation. This study evaluated the role of endogenous Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the spinal neuroplasticity. Following cord transection at the junction between T9 and T10, the hindlimb locomotor functions of rats showed gradual but significant improvement from 7 to 28 days post-operation. Corresponding to this was a significant increase in the level of NT-3 in the cord segments caudal to injury site. Significantly, after NT-3-antibody administration, the spinal transected rats displayed poor hindlimb locomotor functions and a decrease in the number of neurons in spinal laminae VIII-IX. Whether NT-3-antibody was administered, corticospinal tract regeneration and somatosensory evoked potentials could not be detected. Our findings suggested that endogenous NT-3 could play an important role in spinal plasticity in adult spinal cords subjected to transection, possibly through a regulation of neuronal activity in the local circuitry.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurological Disease, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ying-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: Jiang-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Bu-Liang
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chang-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ting-Hua
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020933:Neurotrophin 3