Buyang Huanwu decoction improves neural recovery after spinal cord injury in rats through the mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy

This study investigates the effects of Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD) on spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery in rats. SCI disrupts nerve signals, leading to loss of movement and sensation. BYHWD, a traditional Chinese medicine, aims to improve this condition. The researchers created a spinal cord injury model in rats and treated them with different doses of BYHWD. They then assessed the rats' motor function and examined the nerve cells in the red nucleus, a brain region involved in motor control. The study found that BYHWD improved motor function and increased the number of healthy nerve cells in the red nucleus. This suggests that BYHWD can help with neural recovery after SCI.

• 1
  BYHWD improved motor function in SCI rats. Specifically, low, medium, and high doses of BYHWD showed improvements, with the high dose showing the most significant effect.
• 2
  BYHWD increased the number of red nucleus neurons in SCI rats. The higher the dose of BYHWD, the greater the increase in neuron number.
• 3
  BYHWD modulated the mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy. It increased mTOR expression while decreasing Beclin-1 and LC3 expression, suggesting a potential mechanism for its neuroprotective effects.