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. 2020 Mar 6;37(6):846–859. doi: 10.1089/neu.2019.6526

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Copyright 2020, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

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FIG. 4. — The activity-dependent modulation of KCC2, NKCC1, and BDNF protein expression in the lumbar enlargement of SCI rats requires KCC2 and BDNF activity. Western blot analysis shows that (A) one-way ANOVA confirmed differences in KCC2 protein expression across groups (p < 0.001). Further post hoc analysis showed that KCC2 expression is modulated after SCI, decreasing to 64 ± 3% of intact values (p = 0.015). This decrease was prevented by a rehabilitation program whether KCC2 was blocked (p < 0.034) or not (p < 0.021) as both SCI-Ex and SCI+Ex+VU0240551 displayed KCC2 expression levels similar to intact (93 ± 7%, p = 0.898 and 92 ± 10%, p = 0.944, respectively). Scavenging BDNF prevented the activity-dependent increase in KCC2 expression with values similar to sedentary animals (63 ± 5%, p = 0.989), and lower than intact (p = 0.015) and SCI+Ex (p = 0.022). One-way ANOVA (p < 0.001) with Holm-Sidak post hoc test, n = 6–11/group).

(B) One-way ANOVA analysis confirmed a difference in BDNF protein expression between groups (p < 0.001). The decrease in BDNF expression after a chronic SCI as compared with intact (p = 0.024) was prevented by exercise. SCI-Ex displayed BDNF expression levels higher than SCI (p < 0.001) and similar to intact (p = 0.425). Blocking KCC2 activity prevented the beneficial effect of exercise on BDNF levels with values significantly lower than exercised animals receiving the vehicle (p = 0.011). Scavenging BDNF during training yielded lower levels of BDNF in the lumbar enlargement (p = 0.043). (C) NKCC1 protein expression in the lumbar enlargement was significantly different between groups (p = 0.003). NKCC1 levels tended to increase after SCI. Although this increase did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.068), rehabilitation returned NKCC1 expression levels close to intact (93 ± 4%, p = 0.964) with significantly less NKCC1 in the lumbar enlargement than sedentary SCI animals (147 ± 14%, p = 0.036). Blocking KCC2 prevented the activity-dependent decrease in NKCC1 expression and SCI+Ex+VU0240551 displayed values similar to sedentary SCI animals (161 ± 24%, p = 0.930) but higher than SCI-Ex (p = 0.012). Scavenging BDNF did not prevent the activity-dependent decrease in NKCC1 expression (97 ± 16%, p = 0.969). One-way ANOVA analysis with Holm-Sidak post hoc test (n = 6–11/group). One-way ANOVA analysis (p < 0.001) with Holm-Sidak post hoc test (n = −11/group). Protein levels are presented as mean ± SEM. *P < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 versus intact. ANOVA, analysis of variance; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; SCI, spinal cord injury.