Quantitative analysis of hindlimbs locomotion kinematics in spinalized rats treated with Tamoxifen plus treadmill exercise.

Locomotion recovery after a spinal cord injury (SCI) includes axon regeneration, myelin preservation and increased plasticity in propriospinal and descending spinal circuitries. The combined effects of tamoxifen and exercise after a SCI were analyzed in this study to determine whether the combination of both treatments induces the best outcome in locomotion recovery. In this study, the penetrating injury was provoked by a sharp projectile that penetrates through right dorsal and ventral portions of the T13-L1 spinal segments, affecting propriospinal and descending/ascending tracts. Intraperitoneal application of Tamoxifen and a treadmill exercise protocol, as rehabilitation therapies, separately or combined, were used. To evaluate the functional recovery, angular patterns of the hip, knee and ankle joints as well as the leg pendulum-like movement (PLM) were measured during the unrestricted gait of treated and untreated (UT) animals, previously and after the traumatic injury (15 and 30days post-injury (dpi)). A pattern (curve) comparison analysis was made by using a locally designed Matlab script that determines the Frechet dissimilarity. The SCI magnitude was assessed by qualitative and quantitative histological analysis of the injury site 30days after SCI. Our results showed that all treated groups had an improvement in hindlimbs kinematics compared to the UT group, which showed a poor gait locomotion recovery throughout the rehabilitation period. The group with the combined treatment (tamoxifen+exercise (TE)) presented the best outcome. In conclusion, tamoxifen and treadmill exercise treatments are complementary therapies for the functional recovery of gait locomotion in hemi-spinalized rats.

The hippocampus participates in the control of locomotion speed.

The hippocampus role in sensory-motor integration remains unclear. In these experiments we study its function in the locomotor control. To establish the connection between the hippocampus and the locomotor system, electrical stimulation in the CA1 region was applied and EMG recordings were obtained. We also evaluated the hindlimbs and forelimbs kinematic patterns in rats with a penetrating injury (PI) in the hippocampus as well as in a cortex-injured group (CI), which served as control. After the PI, tamoxifen a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that has been described as a neuroprotector and antiinflammatory drug, or vehicle was administered. Electrical stimulation in the hippocampus produces muscle contractions in the contralateral triceps, when 6 Hz or 8 Hz pulse trains were applied. The penetrating injury in the hippocampus reduced the EMG amplitude after the electrical stimulation. At 7 DPI (days post-injury) we observed an increase in the strides speed in all four limbs of the non-treated group, decreasing the correlation percentage of the studied joints. After 15 DPI the strides speed in the non-treated returned to normal. These changes did not occur in the tamoxifen group nor in cortex-injured group. After 30 days, the nontreated group presented a reduction in the number of pyramidal cell layer neurons at the injury site, in comparison to the tam-treated group. The loss of neurons, may cause the interruption of the trisynaptic circuit and changes in the locomotion speed. Tamoxifen preserves the pyramidal neurons after the injury, probably resulting in the strides speed recovery.

Tamoxifen favoured the rat sensorial cortex regeneration after a penetrating brain injury.

A penetrating brain injury produces a glial scar formed by astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and NG2 cells. Glial scar is a barrier preventing the extent of damage but it has deleterious effects in the regeneration of the axons. Estradiol and tamoxifen reduce gliosis and have neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus and the spinal cord. We evaluated the proliferation of glia and the electrocorticogram in the sensorial cortex in a brain injury model. At seven days post-injury, estradiol, tamoxifen and estradiol plus tamoxifen reduced the number of resident and proliferative NG2 and reactive astrocyte vimentin+ cells. Estradiol and tamoxifen effects on NG2 cells could be produced by the classical oestrogen receptors found in these cells. The glial scar was also reduced by tamoxifen. At thirty days post-injury, the amount of resident and proliferative astrocytes increased significantly, except in the estradiol plus tamoxifen group, whilst the oligodendrocytes proliferation in the glial scar was reduced in treated animals. Tamoxifen promotes the survival of FOX-3+ neurons in the injured area and a recovery in the amplitude of electrocorticogram waves. At thirty days, estradiol did not favour the survival of neurons but produced a greater number of reactive astrocytes. In contrast, the number of oligodendrocytes was reduced. Tamoxifen could favour brain repair promoting neuron survival and adjusting glial cell number. It seems to recover adequate neural communication.