| Keywords |
Exercise ; Spinal cord injury ; Axon regeneration ; Neutrophin-3 ; Myelin Basic Protein |
| Abstract |
In the present study, we examined the effects of two aerobic training protocols (treadmill running and swimming) on axon sprouting, neutrophin-3 (NT-3), myelin basic protein (MBP), and functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by dropping the 10 g of a metal rod in aged rats. Immunofluorescene staining and anterograde tracing techniques were performed to assess axonal sprouting and alteration of non-neuronal cells around the injury site. The expression of NT-3 and MBP proteins was detected by Western blot techniques. The functional assessment was determined by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring. The results of present study showed that both treadmill running and swimming significantly increased NT-3 and MBP expression after SCI when compared to rats in no exercised group. Moreover, both trained groups showed a facilitated nerve regeneration in vivo by improving cell proliferation and axonal sprouting. The exercised rats exhibited significant improvement in functional outcome. These results suggest that exercise may enhance nerve regeneration via activation of NT-3 and MBP proteins in aged rats with SCI, leading to improved limb function. |