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

本研究旨在探讨低能量体外冲击波治疗能否增加大鼠脊髓损伤后血管内皮生长因子的表达，发挥神经保护作用，促进大鼠脊髓损伤后运动功能的恢复。成年雌性SD大鼠分为4组：假手术组(单纯椎板切除)、假手术组(ESWT后椎板切除)、SCI组和SCI-SW组(SCI后ESWT)。脊髓损伤后行低能量ESWT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-SW组动物的运动功能较SCI组明显改善。这些结果表明，低能量ESWT增强了血管内皮生长因子的神经保护作用，促进了脊髓损伤后运动功能的恢复。

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.