Blocking the action of inhibitory molecules at sites of central nervous system injury has been proposed as a strategy to promote axonal regeneration and functional recovery. We have previously shown that genetic deletion or competitive antagonism of EphA4 receptor activity promotes axonal regeneration and functional recovery in a mouse model of lateral hemisection spinal cord injury. Here we have assessed the effect of blocking EphA4 activation using the competitive antagonist EphA4-Fc in a rat model of thoracic contusive spinal cord injury. Using a ledged tapered balance beam and open-field testing, we observed significant improvements in recovery of locomotor function after EphA4-Fc treatment. Consistent with functional improvement, using high-resolution ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging at 16.4T, we found that rats treated with EphA4-Fc had a significantly increased cross-sectional area of the dorsal funiculus caudal to the injury epicenter compared with controls. Our findings indicate that EphA4-Fc promotes functional recovery following contusive spinal cord injury and provides further support for the therapeutic benefit of treatment with the competitive antagonist in acute cases of spinal cord injury. © 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
CITATION STYLE
Spanevello, M. D., Tajouri, S. I., Mirciov, C., Kurniawan, N., Pearse, M. J., Fabri, L. J., … Bartlett, P. F. (2013). Acute delivery of epha4-fc improves functional recovery after contusive spinal cord injury in rats. Journal of Neurotrauma, 30(12), 1023–1024. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2012.2729
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