Purpose: Spinal cord injury is a global public health issue that results in extensive neuronal degeneration, axonal and myelin loss and severe functional deficits. Neurotrophic factors are potential treatment for reducing secondary damage, promoting axon growth, and are responsible for inducing myelination after injury. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and minocycline have been shown to promo...

it was estimated that 3 million people suffered from spinal cord injury. unfortunately up to date, there are not any reliable clinical treatments for spinal cord injury and researches for treatments of sci have focused on medication, surgery, stem cell transplantation, molecular therapy and tissue engineering. also scientists are trying to use a combination of stem cells and nanotechnology scie...

Four different spinal cord injury (SCI) models (hemisection, contusion, transection, and segment resection) were produced in male Sprague-Dawley rats to determine the most suitable animal model of SCI by analyzing the changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters both qualitatively and quantitatively in vivo. Radiological examinations were performed before surgery and weekly within 4 wee...

Chronic unilateral hemisection (HX) of the adult rat spinal cord diminishes conduction through intact fibers in the ventrolateral funiculus (VLF) contralateral to HX. Intraspinal injections of Chondroitinase-ABC, known to digest chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the vicinity of injury, prevented this decline of axonal conduction. This was associated with improved locomotor function. ...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a cause of major neurological disability, and no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Evidence suggests that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could target some of the pathological mechanisms that underlie damage after SCI. We examined the effects of treatment with PUFAs after lateral spinal cord hemisection in the rat. The omega-3 PUFAs alpha-linolenic a...

The relationships between the stimulation frequency and the force developed by motor units (MUs) of the medial gastrocnemius muscle were compared between intact rats and animals after total transection or hemisection of the spinal cord at the low thoracic level. The experiments on functionally isolated MUs were carried out 14, 30, 90, and 180 days after the spinal cord injury. Axons of investig...

While walking in a straight path, changes in speed result mainly from adjustments in the duration of the stance phase while the swing phase remains relatively invariant, a basic feature of the spinal central pattern generator (CPG). To produce a broad range of locomotor behaviors, the CPG has to integrate modulatory inputs from the brain and the periphery and alter these swing/stance characteri...

Adult MRL/MpJ mice have been shown to possess unique regeneration capabilities. They are able to heal an ear-punched hole or an injured heart with normal tissue architecture and without scar formation. Here we present functional and histological evidence for enhanced recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) in MRL/MpJ mice. A control group (C57BL/6 mice) and MRL/MpJ mice underwent a dorsal h...

BACKGROUND Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are clinically challenging, because neural regeneration after cord damage is unknown. In SCI animal models, regeneration is evaluated histologically, requiring animal sacrifice. Noninvasive techniques are needed to detect longitudinal SCI changes. OBJECTIVE To compare manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI [MEMRI]) in hemisection and transecti...

spinal cord injury (sci) results in up regulation and/or down regulation of several genes that may affect neuronal death and subsequent loss of motor function and also neuropathic pain. to expand a practical therapy, it is essential to recognize the specific molecular pathways altered as a function of time after spinal cord injury. this will help to develop strategies for positive manipulation ...