Low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy promotes VEGF expression and neuroprotection and improves locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury

本研究探讨了低能量体外冲击波治疗是否能增加VEGF的表达，以提供神经保护作用，促进大鼠脊髓损伤后的运动恢复。成年雌性SD大鼠分为4组：Sham组（仅椎板切除术）、Sham-SW组（椎板切除术后应用ESWT）、SCI组和SCI-SW组（SCI后应用ESWT）。脊髓损伤后行低能量体外冲击波治疗，每周3次，共3周。低能量ESWT显著减少了受损神经组织中的神经元丢失。此外，SCI后SCI-SW组动物的运动功能与SCI组相比显著改善。这些结果表明，低能量ESWT增强了VEGF的神经保护作用，并改善了SCI后的运动恢复。

The present study investigated whether the low-energy ESWT can increase VEGF expression to provide neuroprotective effect and enhance the locomotor recovery after SCI in rats. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Sham group (laminectomy only), Sham-SW group (ESWT applied after laminectomy), SCI group and SCI-SW group (ESWT applied after SCI). The low-energy ESWT was applied to the injured spinal cord 3 times a week for 3 weeks after SCI. The low-energy ESWT significantly reduced neuronal loss in damaged neural tissue. Furthermore, locomotor function was significantly improved in animals in SCI-SW group compared to SCI group after SCI. These results demonstrated that the low-energy ESWT enhanced neuroprotective effect of VEGF and improve locomotor recovery following SCI.