Depolarization and electrical stimulation enhance in vitro and in vivo sensory axon growth after spinal cord injury.

ABSTRACT: Activity dependent plasticity is a key mechanism for the central nervous system (CNS) to adapt to its environment. Whether neuronal activity also influences axonal regeneration in the injured CNS, and whether electrical stimulation (ES) can activate regenerative programs in the injured CNS remains incompletely understood. Using KCl-induced depolarization, in vivo ES followed by ex-vivo neurite growth assays and ES after spinal cord lesions and cell grafting, we aimed to identify parameters important for ES-enhanced neurite growth and axonal regeneration. Using cultures of sensory neurons, neurite growth was analyzed after KCl-induced depolarization for 1-72h. Increased neurite growth was detected after short-term stimulation and after longer stimulation if a sufficient delay between stimul

SUBMITTER: Goganau I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5752127 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature