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Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Promotion of Survival and Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells with Fibrin and Growth Factor Cocktails after Severe Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: July 27, 2014
Fibroblast growth factor 5 protects against spinal cord injury through activating AMPK pathway
Feng Chen1, Bing-Rui Xiong1, Shu-Yue Xian1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
Excessive productions of inflammatory cytokines and free radicals are involved in spinal cord injury (SCI). Fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) is associated with inflammatory response and oxidative damage, and we herein intend to determine its function in SCI. Lentivirus was instilled to overexpress or knockdown FGF5 expression in mice. Compound C or H89 2HCl were used to suppress AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) or protein kinase A (PKA), respectively. FGF5 level was significantly decreased during SCI. FGF5 overexpression mitigated, while FGF5 silence further facilitated inflammatory response, oxidative damage and SCI. Mechanically, FGF5 activated AMPK to attenuate SCI in a cAMP/PKA-dependent manner, while inhibiting AMPK or PKA with pharmacological methods significantly abolished the neuroprotective effects of FGF5 against SCI. More importantly, serum FGF5 level was decreased in SCI patients, and elevated serum FGF5 level often indicate better prognosis. Our study identifies FGF5 as an effective therapeutic and prognostic target for SCI.
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