Attenuated Reactive Gliosis and Enhanced Functional Recovery Following Spinal Cord Injury in Null Mutant Mice of Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a unique phosphoglycerine that mediates the biological functions of both immune and nervous systems. Excessive PAF plays an important role in neural injury via its specific receptor (PAFR). In this study, we hypothesized that PAF signaling activates reactive gliosis after spinal cord injury (SCI), and blocking the PAF pathway would modify the glia scar formation and promote functional recovery. PAF microinjected into the normal wild-type spinal cord induced a dose-dependent activation of microglia and astrocytes. In the SCI mice, PAFR null mutant mice showed a better functional recovery in grip and rotarod performances than wild-type mice. Although both microglia and astrocytes were activated after SCI in wild-type and PAFR null mutant mice, expressions of IL-6, vimentin, nestin, and GFAP were not significantly elevated in PAFR null mutants. Disruption of PAF signaling inhibited the expressions of proteoglycan CS56 and neurocan (CSPG3). Intriguingly, compared to the wild-type SCI mice, less axonal retraction/dieback at 7 dpi but more NFH-labeled axons at 28 dpi was found in the area adjacent to the epicenter in PAFR null mutant SCI mice. Moreover, treatment with PAFR antagonist Ginkgolide B (GB) at the chronic phase rather than acute phase enhanced the functional recovery in the wild-type SCI mice. These findings suggest that PAF signaling participates in reactive gliosis after SCI, and blocking of this signaling enhances functional recovery and to some extent may promote axon regrowth.