Da. Houweling et al., LOCAL APPLICATION OF COLLAGEN CONTAINING BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR DECREASES THE LOSS OF FUNCTION AFTER SPINAL-CORD INJURY IN THE ADULT-RAT, Neuroscience letters, 251(3), 1998, pp. 193-196
We studied the effect of local application of brain-derived neurotroph
ic factor (BDNF) on functional recovery after dorsal spinal cord trans
ection in the adult rat. BDNF was applied at the site of the lesion in
rat tail collagen type I. Locomotion was measured for 4 weeks using t
he BBB locomotor rating scale. One day after injury and application of
BDNF the performance of treated rats was significantly increased as c
ompared to controls (BBB-score 11.5 +/- 1.3 (mean +/- SEM) and 7.5 +/-
1.3, respectively). This difference remained significant during the f
irst week. Histological examination of the spared spinal cord tissue a
t the lesion centre 4 weeks after lesioning showed no significant diff
erence between control and BDNF-treated animals. The results indicate
that local application of BDNF results in a decreased loss of function
in the partially transected rat spinal cord starting one day after in
jury. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.