Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2023, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (5): 1062-1066.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.355768

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Double-target neural circuit-magnetic stimulation improves motor function in spinal cord injury by attenuating astrocyte activation

Dan Zhao1, 2, #, Ye Zhang3, #, Ya Zheng2, Xu-Tong Li4, Cheng-Cheng Sun2, Qi Yang2, Qing Xie1, *, Dong-Sheng Xu5, 6, 7, *   

  1. 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China;  2Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China;  3Department of Rehabilitation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China;  4Department of Neurology, Zibo Centre Hospital, Zibo, Shandong Province, China;  5Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai, China;  6School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China;  7Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Shanghai, China
  • Online:2023-05-15 Published:2022-11-01
  • Contact: Qing Xie, MS, ruijin_xq@163.com; Dong-Sheng Xu, PhD, dxu0927@shutcm.edu.cn.
  • Supported by:
    The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos. 81772453 and 81974358 (both to DSX) and Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty Program, No. shslczdzk02701 (to QX).

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Abstract: Multi-target neural circuit-magnetic stimulation has been clinically shown to improve rehabilitation of lower limb motor function after spinal cord injury. However, the precise underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we performed double-target neural circuit-magnetic stimulation on the left motor cortex and bilateral L5 nerve root for 3 successive weeks in a rat model of incomplete spinal cord injury caused by compression at T10. Results showed that in the injured spinal cord, the expression of the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein and inflammatory factors interleukin 1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α had decreased, whereas that of neuronal survival marker microtubule-associated protein 2 and synaptic plasticity markers postsynaptic densification protein 95 and synaptophysin protein had increased. Additionally, neural signaling of the descending corticospinal tract was markedly improved and rat locomotor function recovered significantly. These findings suggest that double-target neural circuit-magnetic stimulation improves rat motor function by attenuating astrocyte activation, thus providing a theoretical basis for application of double-target neural circuit-magnetic stimulation in the clinical treatment of spinal cord injury. 

Key words: astrocyte, inflammatory response, microtubule-associated protein 2, motor function, motor-evoked potentia, neural circuit-magnetic stimulation, neural repair, neuromodulation technique, spinal cord injury, synaptic plasticity