Effects of Body Weight-supported Treadmill Training on Neuropathic Pain and Expression of Glutamate Decarboxylase (GAD)-65/67 in Spinal Dorsal Horn of Rats with Spinal Cord Injury / 中国康复理论与实践

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effect of body weight-supported treadmill training on neuropathic pain and expression of glutamate decarboxylase-65/67 (GAD-65/67) in spinal dorsal horn of rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods:A total of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group, SCI-sedentary (SCI-Sed) group and SCI-Exercise (SCI-Ex) group, with eight rats in each group. Allen's method was used to make T10 incomplete SCI model. Seven days after SCI, SCI-Ex group was given body weight-supported treadmill training. Before SCI, and seven days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days and 35 days after SCI, the von Frey filaments and thermal stimulation pain tester were used to evaluate the mechanical and thermal pain thresholds. Then, Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis were performed on the spinal cord of all rats to detect the expression of GAD-65 and GAD-67. Results:The mechanical and thermal pain thresholds were higher in SCI-Ex group than in SCI-Sed group 21 days, 28 days and 35 days after SCI (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham group, the expression of GAD-65 and GAD-67 decreased in SCI and SCI-Ex groups (P < 0.05), and increased in SCI-Ex group compared with that of SCI-Sed group (P < 0.05). Conclusion:Body weight-supported treadmill training could increase the synthesis of GAD-65/67 in the distal spinal cord dorsal horn of incomplete SCI rats, and improve the pain thresholds of hind limbs in rats with SCI.