Dynamic alterations of the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β in rat primary motor cortex during transhemispheric functional reorganization after contralateral seventh cervical spinal nerve root transfer following brachial plexus avulsion injuries.

The transfer of a contralateral healthy seventh cervical spinal nerve root (cC7) to the recipient nerve in the injured side is considered a reliable and effective procedure for restoration of the physiological functions of an injured hand after brachial plexus root avulsion injury (BPAI). Growing evidence shows that the transhemispheric cortical reorganization is induced after cC7 nerve transfer surgery. However, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. Proinflammatory cytokines reportedly play an important role in the neural plasticity. We hypothesize that proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the transhemispheric functional reorganization after cC7 transfer. In the present study, we investigated the level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the rat primary motor cortex after cC7 transfer following BPAI by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that, in the sham group, no statistical significance was observed between the level of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β at each time point after the operation compared with that at day 0, respectively. However, in the unrepaired and repaired groups, the level of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β changed dynamically. The study is the first to provide evidence for the involvement of proinflammatory cytokines in transhemispheric functional reorganization after cC7 transfer following BPAI, which are useful for understanding the underlying mechanism.