Clemastine Enhances Myelination, Delays Axonal Loss and Promotes Functional Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury

Neurochemical Research, 2022 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-021-03465-0 · Published: October 18, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Pharmacology Neurology

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to motor and sensory dysfunction, and current treatments have limited ability to restore function. Demyelination, the loss of the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibers, contributes to this dysfunction. This study investigates whether clemastine, a drug known to promote myelination, can improve recovery in a rat model of SCI. Clemastine is an FDA-approved drug that is potent in promoting oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination in vivo, for four weeks following SCI. The results suggest that clemastine treatment can preserve myelin, reduce axonal loss, and improve functional recovery after SCI, indicating that promoting myelination could be a potential therapeutic strategy.

Study Duration

4 weeks

Participants

60 adult female Sprague–Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Clemastine treatment significantly improved motor function recovery in rats with SCI, as measured by BBB scoring, sloping board tests, and grid walking analysis.
2
Clemastine enhanced myelination in the spinal cord after SCI, as evidenced by increased LFB staining, MBP expression, and ultrastructural analysis via electron microscopy.
3
Clemastine delayed axonal degeneration and loss after SCI, suggesting a neuroprotective effect possibly mediated by promoting myelination.

Research Summary

This study demonstrates that clemastine, a drug known to promote myelination, can enhance functional recovery in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). The findings indicate that clemastine treatment preserves myelin integrity, decreases axonal loss, and improves motor function after SCI. The results suggest that enhancing myelination may be a promising therapeutic approach for promoting functional recovery in SCI.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Clemastine, an FDA-approved drug, shows promise as a potential therapeutic agent for promoting functional recovery after SCI by enhancing myelination.

Myelination Strategies

The study highlights the importance of myelination-enhancing strategies as a therapeutic avenue for SCI, warranting further investigation.

Combination Therapy

The authors suggest that a combination therapy approach, addressing multiple pathological factors, may be necessary for complete recovery from SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The mechanism of clemastine promoting the differentiation of OPCs remains unclear.
2
Clemastine cannot fully restore the destruction of the myelin sheath and dysfunction caused by SCI.
3
The study used a rat model of SCI, and the results may not be directly applicable to humans.

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