Recovery from spinal cord injury in the chronic phase -the mechanism of denosomin, a novel compound with multiactivities-

A novel compound, Denosomin, improved hindlimb motor dysfunction and axonal growth, especially in the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-positive tracts across the scar and increased the density of astrocytes. Denosomin increased astrocyte proliferation, inhibited astrocytic death and increased the expression and secretion of vimentin in cultured astrocytes. Furthermore, vimentin treatment increased axonal outgrowth in cultured neurons, even in the presence of inhibitory CSPG. Vimentin-expressing astrocytes increased inside of the glial scars of SCI mice administered Denosomin, and 5-HT-positive axonal growth occurred in a vimentin-associated manner. We firstly found that vimentin stimulated directly IGF1 receptors on neurons and the signaling elicited the axonal growth.