Mutually beneficial effects of intensive exercise and GABAergic neural progenitor cell transplants in reducing neuropathic pain and spinal pathology in rats with spinal cord injury.
Mutually beneficial effects of intensive exercise and GABAergic neural progenitor cell transplants in reducing neuropathic pain and spinal pathology in rats with spinal cord injury.
Exp Neurol. 2020 Jan 18;:113208
Authors: Dugan EA, Jergova S, Sagen J
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) produces both locomotor deficits and sensory dysfunction that greatly reduce the overall quality of life. Mechanisms underlying chronic pain include increased neuro-inflammation and changes in spinal processing of sensory signals, with reduced inhibitory GABAergic signaling a likely key player. Our previous research demonstrated that spinal transplantation of GABAergic neural progenitor cells (NPCs) reduced neuropathic pain while intensive locomotor training (ILT) could reduce development of pain and partially reverse already established pain behaviors. Therefore, we evaluate the potential mutually beneficial anti-hypersensitivity effects of NPC transplants cells in combination with early or delayed ILT. NPC transplants were done at 4 weeks post-SCI. ILT, using a progressive ramping treadmill protocol, was initiated either 5 days post-SCI (early: pain prevention group) or at 5 weeks post-SCI (delayed: to reverse established pain) in male Sprague Dawley rats. Results showed that either ILT alone or NPCs alone could partially attenuate SCI neuropathic pain behaviors in both prevention and reversal paradigms. However, the combination of ILT with NPC ...
Source: Experimental Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Dugan EA, Jergova S, Sagen J Tags: Exp Neurol Source Type: research
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