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Plasticity in Motoneurons Following Spinal Cord Injury in Fructose-induced Diabetic Rats

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Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes motor impairment and the proper excitation/inhibition balance in motoneurons is important for recovery. Diabetes mellitus impairs regenerative capacity following SCI. The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term plasticity (STP) of lumbar spinal cord motoneurons in conditions of (1) lateral hemisection (SCI), (2) fructose-induced diabetes (D), and (3) diabetes associated with hemisection (D + SCI). We show that in the cases of SCI, D, and D + SCI, the ratio of percentage share of excitatory and inhibitory combinations of motoneurons responses to high-frequence stimulation of sciatic nerve is multidirectional. In the SCI and D + SCI groups, the cumulative changes in generalized baseline frequencies decreased significantly. When we compared the cumulative changes in the intensity of excitatory and inhibitory responses relative to baseline during high-frequency stimulation (tetanization epoch), we found that there was a significant intensification in tetanic depression in the D + SCI groups versus SCI, as well as an intensification in tetanic potentiation in the D + SCI vs. D and D + SCI vs. SCI groups. Thus, in conditions of traumatic and/or metabolic pathology, the distinct synaptic inputs exhibit opposing plasticity for homeostatic control of neurotransmission and these integral changes most likely shape postsynaptic STP in the spinal motor network.

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The authors confirm that the data and materials supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.

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Funding

This work was supported by the State Committee of Science RA (Research project 19YR-1F010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroendocrine Relationships Lab, Orbeli Institute of Physiology NAS RA, 0028, Yerevan, Armenia

    Karen Simonyan, Lilit Avetisyan, Armine Isoyan & Vergine Chavushyan

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  1. Karen Simonyan
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  2. Lilit Avetisyan
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  4. Vergine Chavushyan
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Contributions

Study concept and design: K.S., L.A., and V.C. Acquisition of data: K.S., L.A., and V.C. Analysis and interpretation of the data: K.S., V.C., L.A, and A.I. Drafting of the manuscript: K.S., L.A., and V.C.

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Correspondence to Karen Simonyan.

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The experimental protocol corresponded to the conditions of the European Communities Council Directive (2010/63/UE) and it was approved by the Ethics committee of the Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi (Approval code-N4 IRB, November 15, 2018).

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Simonyan, K., Avetisyan, L., Isoyan, A. et al. Plasticity in Motoneurons Following Spinal Cord Injury in Fructose-induced Diabetic Rats. J Mol Neurosci 72, 888–899 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-021-01958-9

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