Motor, sensitive, and vegetative recovery in rats with compressive spinal-cord injury after combined treatment with erythropoietin and whole-body vibration

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rink, Svenja^{a; 1} | Manthou, Maria Eleni^{b; 1} | Arnold, Julia^c | Grigo, Merle^c | Dicken, Paulina^c | Abdulla, Diana Saad Yousif^d | Bendella, Habib^e | Nohroudi, Klaus^c | Angelov, Doychin N.^{c; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, School of Dental and Oral Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany | [b] Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece | [c] Department of Anatomy I, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany | [d] Department I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Network Genomic Medicine, Lung Cancer Group Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany | [e] Department of Neurosurgery, University of Witten/Herdecke, Cologne Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), Cologne, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Prof. Doychin N. Angelov, Institut 1 für Anatomie der Universität zu Köln, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 20, D-50931 Köln, Germany. Tel.:+49 221 478 5654; Fax:+49 221 478 87893; E-mail: angelov.anatomie@uni-koeln.de.

Note: [1] Contributed equally and share first authorship.

Abstract: Background:Physical therapy with whole body vibration (WBV) following compressive spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats restores density of perisomatic synapses, improves body weight support and leads to a better bladder function. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the combined treatment with WBV plus erythropoietin (EPO) would further improve motor, sensory and vegetative functions after SCI in rats. Methods:Severe compressive SCI at low thoracic level was followed by a single i.p. injection of 2,5μg (250 IU) human recombinant EPO. Physical therapy with WBV started on 14th day after injury and continued over a 12-week post injury period. Locomotor recovery, sensitivity tests and urinary bladder scores were analysed at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks after SCI. The closing morphological measurements included lesion volume and numbers of axons in the preserved perilesional neural tissue bridges (PNTB). Results:Assessment of motor performance sensitivity and bladder function revealed no significant effects of EPO when compared to the control treatments. EPO treatment neither reduced the lesion volume, nor increased the number of axons in PNTB. Conclusions:The combination of WBV + EPO exerts no positive effects on hind limbs motor performance and bladder function after compressive SCI in rats.

Keywords: Spinal cord injury, whole-body vibration, erythropoietin, locomotor performance, sensitivity, bladder function, lesion volume, number of spared axons

DOI: 10.3233/RNN-201120

Journal: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 85-100, 2021