The spinal cord has the ability to regenerate but the microenvironment generated after trauma reduces that capacity. An increase in Src family kinase (SFK) activity has been implicated in neuropathological conditions associated with central nervous system trauma. Therefore, we hypothesized that a decrease in SFK activation by a long-term treatment with 4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyramidine (PP2), a selective SFK inhibitor, after spinal cord contusion with the New York University (NYU) impactor device would generate a permissive environment that improves axonal sprouting and/or behavioral activity. Results demonstrated that long-term blockade of SFK activation with PP2 increases locomotor activity at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-injury in the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan open ifeld test, round and square beam crossing tests. In addition, an increase in white matter spared tissue and sero-tonin ifber density was observed in animals treated with PP2. However, blockade of SFK activity did not change the astrocytic response or inifltration of cells from the immune system at 28 days post-injury. Moreover, a reduced SFK activity with PP2 diminished Ephexin (a guanine nucle-otide exchange factor) phosphorylation in the acute phase (4 days post-injury) after trauma. Together, these ifndings suggest a potential role of SFK in the regulation of spared tissue and/or axonal outgrowth that may result in functional locomotor recovery during the pathophysiolo-gy generated after spinal cord injury. Our study also points out that ephexin1 phosphorylation (activation) by SFK action may be involved in the repulsive microenvironment generated after spinal cord injury.

Thermomineral water from the Atomic Spa Gornja Trep?a has been used for a century in the treatment of neurologic disease. The thermomineral water contains microelements, including lithium and magnesium, which show neural regeneration-promoting effects after central nervous system injury. In this study, we investigated the effects of oral intake of thermomineral water from the Atomic Spa Gornja Trep?a on nerve regeneration in a 3-month-old mouse model of spinal cord injury. The mice receiving oral intake of thermomineral water showed better locomo-tor recovery than those without administration of thermomineral water at 8 and 12 weeks after lower thoracic spinal cord compression. At 12 weeks after injury, sprouting of catecholaminergic axons was better in mice that drank thermomineral water than in those without administration of thermomineral water, but there was no difference in glial reaction to injury between mice with and without administration of thermomineral water. These ifndings suggest that thermomineral water can promote the nerve regeneration but cannot reduce glial scar formation in a mouse model of spinal cord injury.