| Objectives: To investigate the effects of ultrashortwave combined with chondritinase ABC (ChABC) on the functional recovery and glial scar formation factors such as glial fibrillaty acidic protein (GFAP) and chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs) after spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: Forty-two 8-week-old SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control group (including simple injury group and PBS solution injected group after injury), ChABC group, ChABC combined with ultrashortwave treatment group (n=14 each). BBB score was evaluated at 1st day, 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week, and 4th week after SCI. SABC immunohistochemistry staining was used to observe the mean optical density (MOD) of GFAP and CSPGs at 2nd week and 4th week after SCI. Result: (1) BBB behavior scores in combination treatment group were significantly higher than in control group from 1st week to 4th week after SCI (P<0.05, 0.01). BBB scores in ChABC treatment group were significantly higher than in control group only at 4th week after injury (P<0.01). There was no difference between ChABC treatment group and combination treatment group (P>0.05). (2) As compared with the control group, the MOD of GFAP and CSPGs in the two treatment groups were both significantly reduced at 2nd week after injury (P<0.01). There were no difference among the three groups in the MOD of GFAP and CSPGs at 4th week after injury. Conclusion: ChABC combined with ultrashortwave therapy can promote neurological function recovery after SCI and inhibit glial scar formation at 2nd week after injury, but the effects had not been sustained. So the concrete mechanism needs to be further studied. |
