Functional and physiological effects of treadmill training induced by buspirone, carbidopa, and L-DOPA in clenbuterol-treated paraplegic mice.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Chronic spinal cord injury may be complicated by weight loss, muscle atrophy, and bone loss.

OBJECTIVE:

The authors identified a combination pharmacotherapy using buspirone, carbidopa, and L-DOPA (BCD) that elicits bouts of locomotor-like movements in spinal cord-transected (Tx) mice. They then evaluated the effects of 8 weeks of treadmill training in Tx mice that received BCD or BCD + clenbuterol, a monoaminergic agent with anabolic properties, on locomotor function, muscle atrophy, adipose tissue loss, and bone density measures.

METHODS:

Induced locomotor movement, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and femoral bone properties were compared in unoperated control mice, operated controls (untreated, untrained Tx mice), and 2 groups of treated, trained Tx mice (Tx + BCD, Tx + BCD + clenbuterol) that also received training.

RESULTS:

BCD- and BCD + clenbuterol-treated mice showed comparable levels of locomotor movements that significantly improved over time. Soleus muscle mass and soleus and extensor digitorum longus cross-sectional area significantly increased in both groups of BCD-treated mice, with greater effects in BCD + clenbuterol-treated animals. Fiber type conversion, adipose tissues, bone mineral density, and content were reduced in all Tx groups compared with unoperated control mice.

CONCLUSION:

These findings suggest that locomotor movement and muscle properties can be restored to near-normal levels after several weeks of BCD treatment, regular training, and clenbuterol in completely paraplegic animals.

• Authors: Roth-Visal Ung, Pascal Rouleau, Pierre A Guertin
• Journal: Neurorehabilitation and neural repair (Neurorehabil Neural Repair) Vol. 26 Issue 4 Pg. 385-94 (May 2012) ISSN: 1552-6844 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22157146 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Dopamine Agents
• Histocompatibility Antigens
• Serotonin Receptor Agonists
• Levodopa
• Buspirone

Topics

• Adipose Tissue (drug effects, pathology)
• Analysis of Variance
• Animals
• Biomechanical Phenomena
• Body Composition (drug effects)
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Bone Density (drug effects, physiology)
• Buspirone (therapeutic use)
• Densitometry
• Disease Models, Animal
• Dopamine Agents (therapeutic use)
• Exercise Test
• Exercise Therapy (methods)
• Histocompatibility Antigens (metabolism)
• Levodopa (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Mice
• Motor Activity (drug effects)
• Muscle Fibers, Skeletal (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Muscle, Skeletal (drug effects, pathology)
• Paraplegia (drug therapy, etiology, rehabilitation)
• Recovery of Function (drug effects, physiology)
• Sacrococcygeal Region
• Serotonin Receptor Agonists (therapeutic use)
• Spinal Cord Injuries (complications)