title: Autocrine motility factor injection for motor plate regeneration and muscle function restoration--a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autocrine motility factor (AMF) is a multifunctional cytokine that promotes cellular adhesion, proliferation, motility, anti-apoptosis, and tissue repair. Direct nerve implantation (DNI) is considered to be effective in peripheral motor nerve injuries with disuse of the distal nerve; however, the repaired muscle function is not satisfactory. In our study, purified AMF was injected in reinnervated muscle after DNI with the intention of assessing if AMF, as a malignant tumor-related cytokine, could improve motor plate regeneration and neuromuscular function restoration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purified AMF, which was extracted from AMF-transfected myoblast-conditioned medium, was regularly injected into the rat gastrocnemius in an established rat gastrocnemius denervation and reinnervation model. The nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of the tibial nerve, peak-to-peak value (PPV), area under the curve (AUC) of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and the Tibial Functional Index (TFI) were measured at 8, 16 and 24 weeks after injection. The regenerated endplates in gastrocnemius were examined by histochemical staining. In another group, an AMF-free solution was injected as the control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the AMF injection, the direct-nerve-implanted muscle function recovery was better in terms of both the nerve velocity and the quality. The endplates in the experimental group also had a quantitative advantage in restoration. After comparing the histochemical-stained tissues, no indications of tumorigenesis were detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AMF had positive effects on neuromuscular reparation and need more detailed research to determine the signalling pathways and side effects of AMF.
authors: Plastic & Reconstructive surgery Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 76#, LinJiang Road, Yuzhong District, ChongQing, People's Republic of China, 400010. liren1997@gmail.com
authors: Ren
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: Zu Meng
authors: ZM
authors: Ya
authors: Lan
authors: L
authors: Jin
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005956:Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D009121:Muscle Denervation / Q000379:methods; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries
chemical_list: D005956:Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase