Effect of a Coupled Hypoxia and Exercise Treatment on Neuropathic Pain in Female Rats with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Session Number
Project ID: MEDH 40
Advisor(s)
Ann M. Stowe, PhD; Daimen Britsch, University of Kentucky
Discipline
Medical and Health Sciences
Start Date
17-4-2024 9:40 AM
End Date
17-4-2024 9:55 AM
Abstract
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), an interruption of spinal axons, impacts millions of people, and can lead to quadriplegia and damage to essential respiratory pathways. To date, it is medically irreversible. Recent animal studies suggest that Intermittent Hypoxia (IH) and exercise training are effective treatments. IH, or exposure to low oxygen levels, has been shown to trigger phrenic long term facilitation (pLTF), an increase in phrenic motor neuron output even at regular oxygen levels. Exercise has been shown to stimulate cortical reorganization that restores function to injured areas. No research to date has explored the impacts of coupling IH and exercise training. To address this gap, we ran an experiment using every combination of the two treatments for eight weeks on four cohorts of female rats with chronic SCI (i.e. seven weeks after SCI). Recovery was measured by changes in neuropathic pain using the Hargreaves test. A lateral C2 hemisection (LC2H) was given to all rats. Results demonstrated that coupling the two treatments had no statistically significant impact on neuropathic pain. Furthermore, interventions started in the chronic phase may not improve all types of recovery. These results further the search for the most effective treatment regimen for SCI.
Effect of a Coupled Hypoxia and Exercise Treatment on Neuropathic Pain in Female Rats with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), an interruption of spinal axons, impacts millions of people, and can lead to quadriplegia and damage to essential respiratory pathways. To date, it is medically irreversible. Recent animal studies suggest that Intermittent Hypoxia (IH) and exercise training are effective treatments. IH, or exposure to low oxygen levels, has been shown to trigger phrenic long term facilitation (pLTF), an increase in phrenic motor neuron output even at regular oxygen levels. Exercise has been shown to stimulate cortical reorganization that restores function to injured areas. No research to date has explored the impacts of coupling IH and exercise training. To address this gap, we ran an experiment using every combination of the two treatments for eight weeks on four cohorts of female rats with chronic SCI (i.e. seven weeks after SCI). Recovery was measured by changes in neuropathic pain using the Hargreaves test. A lateral C2 hemisection (LC2H) was given to all rats. Results demonstrated that coupling the two treatments had no statistically significant impact on neuropathic pain. Furthermore, interventions started in the chronic phase may not improve all types of recovery. These results further the search for the most effective treatment regimen for SCI.