Mechanisms of locomotor recovery after spinal cord repair with peripheral nerves, fibroblast growth factor 1, and fibrin glue after complete spinal cord transection in the adult mammal.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 125
Description: A simultaneous, bi-directional axonal tracing technique was developed using anterograde DiI and retrograde Fluoro-Gold that was compatible with immunohistochemistry. With the use of this technique, it was determined that functional recovery after CSCT and repair correlated with regeneration of corticospinal tract axons into the grey matter of the lumbar spinal cord. Intentional circumvention of white matter inhibition was not found to be necessary for functional recovery.In conclusion, recovery of function with peripheral nerves, FGF1, and fibrin glue resulted in recovery of function which was associated with regeneration of corticospinal tract axons into the grey matter of the lumbar spinal cord. The success of the functional recovery after repair was not dependent on deliberate circumvention of white matter inhibition. Further study is required to determine other factors that may improve or abolish functional recovery after repair.Although repair after spinal cord transection in the adult mammal had been believed unattainable, in the last decade several reports have documented regeneration of axons and recovery of function after complete spinal cord transection (CSCT) and repair. While both axonal regeneration and functional recovery have been shown after repair, it is unclear whether recovery is due to the axonal regeneration and, if so, which axons are involved. The purpose of this study was to determine which axonal tracts were involved in recovery of function after repair with peripheral nerve grafts, fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), and fibrin glue, and to determine the effect of white matter inhibition on functional recovery.All experiments were performed on adult rats in accordance with policies established by the Canadian Council of Animal Care. The first series of experiments developed the optimal methods for axonal tracing and immunohistochemistry to study axonal regeneration in the spinal cord after CSCT and repair. The second series of experiments determined which axons were correlated with function after CSCT and repair, and whether intentional circumvention of white matter inhibition was necessary for functional recovery.
Notes: Adviser:  Charles H. Tator.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-05, Section: B, page: 2285.