Functional recovery in spinal cord injured rats using polypyrrole/iodine implants and treadmill training

  • Laura Alvarez-Mejia
  • Juan Morales
  • Guillermo J. Cruz
  • María-Guadalupe Olayo
  • Roberto Olayo
  • Araceli Díaz-Ruíz
  • Camilo Ríos
  • Rodrigo Mondragón-Lozano
  • Stephanie Sánchez-Torres
  • Axayacatl Morales-Guadarrama
  • Omar Fabela-Sánchez
  • Hermelinda Salgado-Ceballos
Biocompatibility Studies Original Research
First Online:
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Accepted:
Part of the following topical collections:
  1. Biocompatibility Studies

Abstract

Currently, there is no universally accepted treatment for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI), a pathology that can cause paraplegia or quadriplegia. Due to the complexity of TSCI, more than one therapeutic strategy may be necessary to regain lost functions. Therefore, the present study proposes the use of implants of mesoparticles (MPs) of polypyrrole/iodine (PPy/I) synthesized by plasma for neuroprotection promotion and functional recovery in combination with treadmill training (TT) for neuroplasticity promotion and maintenance of muscle tone. PPy/I films were synthesized by plasma and pulverized to obtain MPs. Rats with a TSCI produced by the NYU impactor were divided into four groups: Vehicle (saline solution); MPs (PPy/I implant); Vehicle-TT (saline solution + TT); and MPs-TT (PPy/I implant + TT). The vehicle or MPs (30 μL) were injected into the lesion site 48 h after a TSCI. Four days later, TT was carried out 5 days a week for 2 months. Functional recovery was evaluated weekly using the BBB motor scale for 9 weeks and tissue protection using histological and morphometric analysis thereafter. Although the MPs of PPy/I increased nerve tissue preservation (P = 0.03) and promoted functional recovery (P = 0.015), combination with TT did not produce better neuroprotection, but significantly improved functional results (P = 0.000) when comparing with the vehicle group. So, use these therapeutic strategies by separately could stimulate specific mechanisms of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration, but when using together they could mainly potentiate different mechanisms of neuronal plasticity in the preserved spinal cord tissue after a TSCI and produce a significant functional recovery.

Graphical Abstract

The implant of mesoparticles of polypyrrole/iodine into the injured spinal cord displayed good integration into the nervous tissue without a response of rejection, as well as an increased in the amount of preserved tissue and a better functional recovery than the group without transplant after a traumatic spinal cord injury by contusion in rats. The relevance of the present results is that polypyrrole/iodine implants were synthesized by plasma instead by conventional chemical or electrochemical methods. Synthesis by plasma modifies physicochemical properties of polypyrrole/iodine implants, which can be responsible of the histological response and functional results. Furthermore, no additional molecules or trophic factors or cells were added to the implant for obtain such results. Even more, when the implant was used together with physical rehabilitation, better functional recovery was obtained than that observed when these strategies were used by separately.

Keywords

Spinal Cord Functional Recovery Injured Spinal Cord Spinal Cord Tissue Training Treadmill 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The work was supported by Instituto Mexicanos del Seguro Social (IMSS), Grant No. FIS/IMSS/PROT/G11/943 and by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Grant No. 47467. Laura Alvarez received a scholarship from CONACyT (No. 172211). The authors thank María del Carmen Baltazar for her invaluable technical assistance.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article is reported.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • Laura Alvarez-Mejia
    • 1
    • 2
    • 7
  • Juan Morales
    • 3
  • Guillermo J. Cruz
    • 4
  • María-Guadalupe Olayo
    • 4
  • Roberto Olayo
    • 3
  • Araceli Díaz-Ruíz
    • 5
  • Camilo Ríos
    • 5
  • Rodrigo Mondragón-Lozano
    • 1
    • 5
    • 7
  • Stephanie Sánchez-Torres
    • 2
    • 6
    • 7
  • Axayacatl Morales-Guadarrama
    • 1
    • 7
  • Omar Fabela-Sánchez
    • 1
    • 7
  • Hermelinda Salgado-Ceballos
    • 2
    • 7
  1. 1.Department of Electric EngineeringUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana IztapalapaMexicoMexico
  2. 2.Medical Research Unit in Neurological Diseases, Specialties Hospital, National Medical Center XXI CenturyInstituto Mexicano del Seguro SocialMexicoMexico
  3. 3.Department of PhysicsUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana IztapalapaMexicoMexico
  4. 4.Department of PhysicsInstituto Nacional de Investigaciones NuclearesOcoyoacacMexico
  5. 5.Department of NeurochemistryInstituto Nacional de Neurología y NeurocirugíaMexicoMexico
  6. 6.Division of Biological Sciences and HealthUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana IztapalapaMexicoMexico
  7. 7.Proyecto Camina A.C.MexicoMexico

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