Locomotor improvement of spinal cord-injured rats through treadmill training by forced plantar placement of hind paws.
METHODS
Experimental training model of rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).


METHODS
Osaka, JapanObjective:To investigate the effect of forced treadmill training by plantar placement (PP), as compared with dorsal placement (DP), of the dorsal paws on the locomotor behaviors of spinal cord-injured rats.


METHODS
The spinal cord was contusion-injured at the thoracic level. Rats were divided into three groups: forced training involving stepping by PP and DP and non-forced training/assistance (nT). Training began 1 week after injury and was conducted for 4 weeks. Locomotor behaviors were estimated using Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scores, dorsiflexion of the hind paws and footprints of the hind paws. Histological and immunohistochemical examinations of the spinal cord lesions were conducted after 4 weeks of training.


RESULTS
The values, respectively, of PP, DP and nT groups at 4 weeks of training were as follows: BBB scores were 15.6±0.8, 7.7±1.3 and 10.3±0.4. The paw dorsiflexion angles were 34.1±5.2, 16.4±2.4 and 23.6±3.0 degrees, respectively. The stride angles were 5.1±0.9, 13.7±4.9 and 17.8±4.0 degrees for the left paws. Cavity volumes were 10.3±2.1, 31.0±2.0 and 28.2±4.9%. In addition to cavities, there were astrocyte-devoid areas containing some loose tissues, through which many axons extended longitudinally.


CONCLUSIONS
The BBB score, dorsiflexion angle and stride angle were consistently improved in the PP group. Cavity formation was more reduced, and many axons extended through coarse tissues formed in astrocyte-devoid areas at the lesion in the PP group. Forced training by PP of the hind paws promoted the behavioral and histological improvement of rats with SCI.
Department of Occupational Therapy, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.|Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
M
M
Hayashibe
Institute of Regeneration and Rehabilitation, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.
T
T
Homma
Institute of Regeneration and Rehabilitation, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.
K
K
Fujimoto
Department of General Education, Wakayama University, Wakayama, Japan.
T
T
Oi
Department of Rehabilitation, Takatsuki Red Cross Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
N
N
Yagi
Department of Rehabilitation, Kyoto Kaisei Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
M
M
Kashihara
Department of Rehabilitation, Kyoto Kaisei Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
N
N
Nishikawa
Department of Rehabilitation, North Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Y
Y
Ishizumi
Department of Occupational Therapy, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.
S
S
Abe
Department of Occupational Therapy, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.
H
H
Hashimoto
Institute of Regeneration and Rehabilitation, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.
K
K
Kanekiyo
Department of Exercise and Functional Physiology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
H
H
Imagita
Institute of Regeneration and Rehabilitation, Aino University School of Health Sciences, Osaka, Japan.
C
C
Ide
Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
S
S
Morioka
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein