[Protective effect of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor infused into the tube setted into cavitas subarachnoidealis on spinal front corner motor neurons].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of exogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) infused into the cavitas subarachnoidealis on cornu anterius medullae spinalis motor neurons after sciatic nerve axotomy. METHODS: Forty-eight healthy SD rats were divided into 2 groups randomly: GDNF group and NS group. The left sciatic nerve in rats were cut off. And then 0.9% saline (6 microl) and GDNF solution (6 microl) were injected into cavitas subarachnoidealis at L4-L6 in NS group and GDNF group,respectively. The rats were sacrificed on postoperative 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks respectively. Their specimen of L4-L6 spinal cord were taken at different time and sectioned. The HE staining, Nissl staining and cholinesterase (ChE) staining in motor neurons were used for counting of motor neurons. RESULTS: In GDNF group the number of motor neurons in cornu anterius medullae spinalis and the ChE activity were higher than that of NS group. CONCLUSION: The exogenous GDNF infused into the cavitas subarachnoidealis are supposed to protect the degenerated spinal motor neuron from death after sciatic nerve injury.