Effect of combined treatment of brain-derived neurotrophic factor with chondroitin ABC on neurological function and glial scar in spinal cord injury rats / 中华神经医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) combined with chondroitin ABC (chABC) on neurological function recovery and partial glial scar formation in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods Eighty SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group,saline treatment group,BDNF treatment group,chABC treatment group and BDNF combined with chABC treatment group (n=16);rats in the later 4 groups were established SCI rat models;immediately after SCI,10 μL saline,20 μL BDNF,6 μL chABC and 6 μL chABC+20 μL BDNF were given,and rats in the sham-operated group did not give any treatment.One,7,14 and 28 d after SCI,HE and Nissl stainings were employed to observe the glial scar formation;immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression.Results One d after SCI,HE staining and Nissl staining showed that obvious hemorrhage in the grey matter and aggregated inflammatory cells were observed in the SCI center,and Nissl substance began to break up into dust particles from speckle;7 d after SCI,Nissl substance broke up into dust particles from speckle,and died neurons,activated astrocytes and infiltrated inflammatory cells were observed;14 and 28 d after SCI,glial scars were formed,activated astrocytes were noted,Nissl substance recovered from dust particles into maculosus,and number of colored neurons increased;the recovery of Nissl substance and number of neurons in the BDNF treatment group,chABC treatment group and BDNF combined with chABC treatment group were better than those in the saline treatment group,and BDNF combined with chABC treatment group enjoyed the best recovery.One d after SCI,GFAP positive expression began in the rats of the later 4 groups,and peaked 14 d after SCI;7 d after SCI,GFAP positive labeling areas in the BDNF combined with chABC treatment group were smaller than those in the saline treatment group;14 and 28 d after SCI,GFAP positive labeling areas in the BDNF treatment group,chABC treatment group and BDNF combined with chABC treatment group were significantly smaller than those in the saline treatment group (P＜0.05);28 d after SCI,GFAP positive labeling areas in the BDNF combined with chABC treatment group were significantly smaller than those in the saline treatment group,BDNF treatment group and chABC treatment group (P＜0.05).Conclusion BDNF combined with chABC has neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects,which can reduce the proliferation of astrocytes and glial scar formation and inhibit the GFAP expression;combined effect is better than single application.