ArticleScientific reports2023
Low oral dose of 4-methylumbelliferone reduces glial scar but is insufficient to induce functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Extracellular matrix remodelling in neurological diseases.Nature reviews. Neurology · 2026Review
- 4-methylumbelliferone attenuates amyloid pathology and learning deficits in the APP/PS1 mouse model.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans in CNS Development and Pathophysiology.Journal of neuroscience research · 2026Review
- Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Spinal Cord Injuries Treated with Amniotic Membrane.ACS omega · 2026Article
- Targeting glial scar formation for spinal cord injury: mechanisms, strategies, and research progress review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Review
- Inhibitor of hyaluronic acid synthesis 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) as a potential anti-inflammatory substance in acute neuroinflammation model in vivo.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Article
- Midbrain extracellular matrix and microglia are associated with cognition in aging mice.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Single-Cell Multi-omics Assessment of Spinal Cord Injury Blocking via Cerium-doped Upconversion Antioxidant Nanoenzymes.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Modulation of stress-, pain-, and alcohol-related behaviors by perineuronal nets.Neurobiology of stress · 2024Article
- Perineuronal Net Microscopy: From Brain Pathology to Artificial Intelligence.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Neurotrauma-From Injury to Repair: Clinical Perspectives, Cellular Mechanisms and Promoting Regeneration of the Injured Brain and Spinal Cord.Biomedicines · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces the upregulation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) at the glial scar and inhibits neuroregeneration. Under normal physiological condition, CSPGs interact with hyaluronan (HA) and other extracellular matrix on the neuronal surface forming a macromolecular structure called perineuronal nets (PNNs) which regulate neuroplasticity. 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) is a known inhibitor for HA synthesis but has not been tested in SCI. We first tested the effect of 4-MU in HA reduction in uninjured rats. After 8 weeks of 4-MU administration at a dose of 1.2 g/kg/day, we have not only observed a reduction of HA in the uninjured spinal cords but also a down-regulation of CS glycosaminoglycans (CS-GAGs). In order to assess the effect of 4-MU in chronic SCI, six weeks after Th8 spinal contusion injury, rats were fed with 4-MU or placebo for 8 weeks in combination with daily treadmill rehabilitation for 16 weeks to promote neuroplasticity. 4-MU treatment reduced the HA synthesis by astrocytes around the lesion site and increased sprouting of 5-hydroxytryptamine fibres into ventral horns. However, the current dose was not sufficient to suppress CS-GAG up-regulation induced by SCI. Further adjustment on the dosage will be required to benefit functional recovery after SCI.
Indexed as
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.