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Autophagy is an intracellular catabolic mechanism that maintains the balance of proteins, lipids and aging organelles. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) is a selective inhibitor of autophagy, whereas rapamycin, an antifungal agent, is a specific inducer of autophagy, inhibiting the protein mammalian target of rapamycin. In the present study, we examined the role of autophagy, inhibited by 3-MA and enhanced by rapamycin, in a model of acute spinal cord injury in rats. We found that rapamycin could significantly increase the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin1 at the injury site. At the same time, the number of neurons and astrocytes with LC3 positive in the spinal cord was upregulated with time. In addition, administration of rapamycin produced an increase in the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scores of injured rats, indicating high recovery of locomotor function. Furthermore, expression of the proteins Bcl-2 and Bax was upregulated and downregulated, respectively. By contrast, the results for rats treated with 3-MA, which inhibits autophagy, were the opposite of those seen with the rapamycin-treated rats. These results show that induction of autophagy can produce neuroprotective effects in acute spinal cord injury in rats via inhibition of apoptosis.

BackgroundThere has been no published report assessing the mechanical properties of a repaired Achilles tendon after surgery using shear wave elastography (SWE). The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in mechanical properties of the healing Achilles tendon after surgical repair of a tendon rupture using ultrasound SWE and how these changes correlate with tendon function.Material/MethodsTwenty-six patients who underwent surgical repair for Achilles tendon rupture were examined with ultrasound SWE coupled with a linear array transducer (4–15 MHz). The elasticity values of the repaired Achilles tendon in a longitudinal view were measured at 12, 24, and 48 weeks postoperatively. Functional outcomes were assessed with the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) rating system at 12, 24, and 48 weeks postoperatively. General linear regression analysis and correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship between elasticity and the AOFAS score.ResultsThere were significant differences with respect to the mean elasticity values and functional scores of the repaired Achilles tendon at 12, 24, and 48 weeks postoperatively (all P<0.05). Tendon function was positively correlated with the elasticity of the repaired Achilles tendon (P=0.0003).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that SWE can provide biomechanical information for evaluating the mechanical properties of healing Achilles tendon and predict Achilles tendon function.

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