Deep Brain Stimulation Improves Motor Function in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury by Increasing Synaptic Plasticity

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on rats with spinal cord injury (SCI) and its possible molecular mechanism.

Methods: A rat SCI model was prepared using a modified Allen method. The animals were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 12 per group): the sham group, the SCI group, and the SCI + DBS group. Then, DBS was applied to the rats in the SCI + DBS group for half an hour per day for 4 weeks. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores were used to assess spinal function.

Results: DBS significantly improved hindlimb motor function in SCI rats, and the protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, the mammalian target of rapamycin, tropomyosin-related kinase B, protein kinase B, p70 ribosomal S6 protein kinase, postsynaptic density protein 95, and synaptophysin increased correspondingly.

Conclusions: DBS improves motor function in rats with SCI by increasing synaptic plasticity via tropomyosin-related kinase B-protein kinase B-mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.

Keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Deep brain stimulation; Spinal cord injury; Synaptic plasticity.