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

本研究探讨低能ESWT是否能提高大鼠脊髓损伤后VEGF的表达，从而起到神经保护作用，促进大鼠的运动恢复。将成年雌性Sprague-Dawley大鼠分为4组：Sham组（仅切除椎板）、Sham- sw组（切除椎板后应用ESWT）、SCI组和SCI- sw组（SCI后应用ESWT）。低能ESWT在脊髓损伤后连续3周，每周应用3次。低能ESWT显著减少受损神经组织的神经元丢失。此外，SCI- sw组与SCI组相比，脊髓损伤后运动功能明显改善。这些结果表明，低能量ESWT增强了VEGF的神经保护作用，改善了脊髓损伤后的运动恢复。

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.