Effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on functional recovery after decompression in a rat model of degenerative cervical myelopathy.

STUDY DESIGN: Animal study. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on functional recovery following decompressive surgery in a rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Surgical decompression halts the progression of CSM, but may leave residual neurologic deficits. LBP, derived from wolfberry, has been shown to modulate macrophage polarization and exert neuroprotective effects in acute spinal cord injury. We hypothesized that LBP would enhance functional recovery after surgical decompression in a rat model of CSM. METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats with induced chronic cervical spinal cord compression were randomly assigned to the following groups: (1) LBP alone; (2) decompression alone; (3) decompression+LBP; (4) no treatment; and (5) sham surgery. Decompression was performed 4 weeks after compression. Outcomes were assessed using neurobehavioral tests, electrophysiology, and histological/immunohistochemical analyses. RESULTS: Baseline spinal cord injury severity was comparable across groups, as confirmed by electrophysiological studies. At 8 weeks postsurgery, rats in the decompression+LBP group showed significantly greater recovery of hindlimb function compared with rats in the decompression alone group. Improvements in somatosensory evoked potential and motor evoked potential latency and amplitude were also more pronounced in the decompression+LBP group. Histological analyses demonstrated reduced myelin vacuolation and increased myelin density with LBP treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first evidence that LBP derived from Chinese herbal medicine enhances neurological and functional recovery when combined with decompression in a rat model of CSM. These findings support further clinical investigation of LBP as an adjunctive therapy in patients with CSM.