Figure 6.

Spinal cord lesion volume and recovery of locomotor function are improved in P2X₄-KO mice. A, P2X₄-KO mice had significantly reduced spinal cord tissue damage at 4 d after injury (n = 5 per group). B, C, Locomotor function was assessed using the BMS (B) and BMS subscore (C) over a 35 d period after SCI (n = 10 mice per group). D, The modified GW test was also used to assess hindpaw function, and the number of hindpaw grips on the GW counted at 8, 15, 22, 29, and 36 d after injury (n = 10 mice per group). The GW test was performed using three different patterns: easy, medium, and hard. The total number of grips for the three different patterns is presented in D. E, Impact force (in kilodynes) and spinal cord tissue displacement (in micrometers) at the time of the contusion injury for all animals included in behavioral analyses. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001 compared with SCI WT (C57BL/6) mice; two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, Bonferroni's post hoc test.