Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Acidic fibroblast growth factor can regulate cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and survival, also can down-regulate the known inhibitor of axon regeneration, such as proteoglycan, help axons overcome these inhibitory factors, and have significant role on the regeneration of nerve fibers.
OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility and effect of the acidic fibroblast growth factor combined with peripheral nerve transplantation in the treatment of high-level spinal cord injury in rats.
METHODS: A total of adult 108 female SD rats were randomly divided into autologous nerve group, autologous nerve combined with acidic fibroblast growth factor group, and high-level spinal cord injury group. The rat T8-10 spinous process and lamina were bite, revealing dural sac, high-level spinal cord was resected at a horizon level, cutting 3 mm, no nerve fibers were confirmed to be attached under the microscope. In the autogenous nerve group and autologous nerve combined with acidic fibroblast growth factor group, bilateral the 8th to 10th pairs of intercostal nerves were harvested 2 cm, then cross-transplanted into high-level spinal cord defect (proximal white matter and distal gray matter, distal white matter and proximal gray matter), fibrin gel and fibrin gel containing acidic fibroblast growth factor were used respectively to fix the implanted intercostal nerve, followed by dural suture. High-level spinal cord transection group was subjected to exclusion between stumps. At 90 days postoperation, somatosensory evoked potential and motor evoked potential were used to test nerve electrophysiological recovery. At 76 days postoperation, biotinylated dextran amine anterograde tracing was applied to observe the motor conduction bundle recovery. At 60 days postoperation, hindlimb motor function recovery was assessed by BBB score.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The somatosensory and motor evoked potential waveforms were not elicited in rats of high-level spinal cord transection group, but did elicit in autogenous nerve group and autologous nerve combined acidic fibroblast growth factor group. The average latency and amplitude of somatosensory and motor evoked potentials, as well as BBB scores in autologous nerve combined acidic fibroblast growth factor group were significantly superior to autologous nerve group (P < 0.01). In the autogenous nerve group and autologous nerve combined acidic fibroblast growth factor group, many more biotinylated dextran amine-positive nerve fibers passed in the damage zone, compared with high-level spinal cord transection group (P < 0.01), the autologous nerve combined acidic fibroblast growth factor group was more than autogenous nerve group (P < 0.01). It is indicated that autologous peripheral nerve graft acidic fibroblast growth factor can better restore the limb motor functions of rats after high-level spinal cord injury.