Motor recovery and synaptic preservation after ventral root avulsion and repair with a fibrin sealant derived from snake venom.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ventral root avulsion is an experimental model of proximal axonal injury at the central/peripheral nervous system interface that results in paralysis and poor clinical outcome after restorative surgery. Root reimplantation may decrease neuronal degeneration in such cases. We describe the use of a snake venom-derived fibrin sealant during surgical reconnection of avulsed roots at the spinal cord surface. The present work investigates the effects of this fibrin sealant on functional recovery, neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and glial reaction in the spinal motoneuron microenvironment after ventral root reimplantation.

Methodology/principal findings

Female Lewis rats (7 weeks old) were subjected to VRA and root replantation. The animals were divided into two

SUBMITTER: Barbizan R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3646764 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature