X-ray therapy promotes structural regeneration after spinal cord injury in a rat model

This study investigates whether X-ray therapy can help the spinal cord heal after an injury. Rats with spinal cord injuries were treated with different doses of X-rays, and their recovery was compared to a control group that did not receive X-ray treatment. The researchers looked at various markers, like neurofilament (NF) for nerve fibers, myelin basic protein (MBP) for myelin sheaths, and GFAP and Nogo-A for white matter structure, to understand how X-ray treatment affects spinal cord regeneration. The study found that X-ray therapy may promote spinal cord regeneration after injury. However, the results from movement and electrical tests didn't show significant differences between the treated and untreated groups.

• 1
  NF counts were higher in both 10-Gy and 20-Gy irradiated groups compared to the sham group at both 6 and 14 weeks after SCI, suggesting that x-ray treatment might promote the regeneration of the spinal cord central nervous system.
• 2
  The MBP count decreased at 14 weeks after SCI in the irradiated groups but increased at 14 weeks in the sham group, indicating that ionizing radiation also has long-term effects on the spinal CNS.
• 3
  GFAP and Nogo-A counts at 14 weeks were higher than those at 6 weeks in all the groups, and x-ray irradiation reduced the glial scar hyperplasia of CNS to a certain extent.