The effect of rehabilitation training on the expression of neuroglobin in the peri-infarct cortex and its mechanism / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To study the effect of rehabilitation training on the expression of neuroglobin (Ngb), oxidative stress and axon regeneration in the cortex and explore possible mechanisms of functional recovery after cerebral infarction.Methods:Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group and a rehabilitation group. Cerebral infarction was modelled in the model and rehabilitation groups using Longa′s middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) technique. The sham operation group received the same procedure except that no thread was inserted to block the middle cerebral artery. The rats in the rehabilitation group began treadmill training 24h after the operation, while the other two groups were left on the treadmill without training. On the 3rd, 7th and 14th days after the operation, all of the rats′ neurological functioning was assessed using modified neurological severity scores (mNSSs). After the last mNSS test, all of the rats were sacrificed and peri-infarct brain tissue was resected to detect the expression of Ngb and oxidative stress indicators including superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as neurofilament-200 (NF-200) indicating axon regeneration.Results:On the 3rd day after the surgery there was no significant difference between the average mNSS scores of the rehabilitation and model groups. On the 7th and 14th day the average mNSS score of the rehabilitation group was significantly better than that of the model group. The average expression of Ngb in the model group was significantly higher than in the sham operation group. After the intervention, the average expression of SOD in the rehabilitation group was significantly higher than in the model group, while NO and MDA expression were significantly lower. After the intervention the average expression of NF-200 in the rehabilitation group was also significantly higher than in the model group.Conclusions:Rehabilitation training benefits the recovery of neurological function after cerebral infarction, at least in rats. The mechanism may be related to the upregulation of Ngb, alleviation of oxidative stress and enhancement of axonal regeneration in the peri-infarct cortex.