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

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.