Back to Search
Start Over
Intramuscular tetanus neurotoxin reverses muscle atrophy: a randomized controlled trial in dogs with spinal cord injury
- Source :
- Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 443-453 (2022)
- Publication Year :
- 2022
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2022.
-
Abstract
- Background Motor symptoms of spinal cord injury (SCI) considerably impair quality of life and are associated with a high risk of secondary diseases. So far, no pharmacological treatment is available for these symptoms. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled study in dogs with spontaneous SCI due to disc herniation to test whether a reduction of spinal inhibitory activity by intramuscular injections of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) alleviates motor symptoms such as muscle atrophy or gait function. Methods To this end, 25 dogs were treated with injections of either TeNT or placebo into their paretic hindlimb muscles. Effects of TeNT on muscle thickness were assessed by ultrasound, while effects on gait function were measured using the modified functional scoring system in dogs. Results Four weeks after the TeNT injections, muscle thickness of the gluteus medius muscle (before median 1.56 cm [inter‐quartile range {IQR} 1.34–1.71 cm] and after median 1.56 cm [IQR 1.37–1.85 cm], P‐value 0.0133) as well as of the rectus femoris muscle (before median 0.76 cm [IQR 0.60–0.98 cm] and after median 0.93 cm [IQR 0.65–1.05 cm], P‐value 0.0033) significantly increased in the TeNT group. However, there was no difference in gait function between the TeNT and placebo groups. The treatment was well tolerated by all dogs without any signs of generalized tetanus symptoms or any spreading of effects beyond the lumbar level of the injected hindlimbs. Conclusions With regard to the beneficial effects on muscle thickness, intramuscular injections of TeNT represent the first pharmacological approach that focally reverses muscle atrophy in SCI. Moreover, the study data support the safety of this treatment when TeNT is used at low dose.
- Subjects :
- Tetanus neurotoxin
Hindlimb
Rectus femoris muscle
Spinal cord injury
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Placebo
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Lumbar
Dogs
Tetanus Toxin
Paraparesis
Physiology (medical)
Animals
Medicine
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Spinal Cord Injuries
Gluteus medius muscle
030304 developmental biology
Paraplegia
0303 health sciences
business.industry
QM1-695
Metalloendopeptidases
medicine.disease
Muscle atrophy
3. Good health
body regions
Disease Models, Animal
Muscular Atrophy
RC925-935
Anesthesia
Human anatomy
Quality of Life
Muscle thickness
medicine.symptom
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 21905991 and 21906009
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....676f3fe529e149bd4dc637dfbb3c9788