Author:
Chen Bojun,Bohnert Debra,Borgens Richard Ben,Cho Youngnam
Abstract
Abstract
Background
We continue our exploration of the large polysaccharide polymer Chitosan as an acute therapy for severe damage to the nervous system. We tested the action of subcutaneously injected nanoparticles (~ 100 – 200 nanometers in diameter; 1 mg per ml) against control injections (silica particle of the same size and concentration) in a standardized in vivo spinal cord injury model. These functional tests used standardized physiological measurements of evoked potentials arriving at the sensorimotor cortex subsequent to stimulation of the tibial nerve of the contralateral hindlimb. We further explored the degree of acetylation and molecular weight of chitosan on the success of sealing cell damage using specific probes of membrane integrity.
Results
Not one of the control group showed restored conduction of evoked potentials stimulated from the tibial nerve of the hindleg – through the lesion – and recorded at the sensorimotor cortex of the brain. Investigation if the degree of acetylation and molecular weight impacted “membrane sealing” properties of Chitosan were unsuccessful. Dye - exchange membrane probes failed to show a difference between the comparators in the function of Chitosan in ex vivo injured spinal cord tests.
Conclusions
We found that Chitosan nanoparticles effectively restore nerve impulse transmission through the crushed adult guinea pig spinal cord in vivo after severe crush/compression injury. The tests of the molecular weight (MW) and degree of acetylation did not produce any improvement in Chitosan’s membrane sealing properties.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Cell Biology,Molecular Biology,Biomedical Engineering,Environmental Engineering
Reference36 articles.
1. Luo J, Li N, Robinson JP, Shi R: The increase of reactive oxygen species and their inhibition in an isolated guinea pig spinal cord compression model. Spinal Cord 2002, 40: 656-665. 10.1038/sj.sc.3101363
2. Borgens RB, Shi R: Immediate recovery from spinal cord injury through molecular repair of nerve membranes with polyethylene glycol. FASEB J 2000, 14: 27-35.
3. Borgens RB: Cellular engineering: molecular repair of membranes to rescue cells of the damaged nervous system. Neurosurgery 2001, 49: 370-378. discussion 378–379
4. Schwab ME: Repairing the injured spinal cord. Science 2002, 295: 1029-1031. 10.1126/science.1067840
5. Cho Y, Borgens RB: Polymer and nano-technology applications for repair and reconstruction of the central nervous system. Exp Neurol 2012, 233: 126-144. 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.09.028
Cited by
24 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献