Thestudyaimstoconfirmtheneuroregenerativeeffectsofbacterialmelanin(BM)oncentralnervoussysteminjuryusingaspecialstainingmethodbasedonthedetectionofCa~(2+)-dependentacidphosphataseactivity.Twenty-fourratswererandomlyassignedtoundergoeitherunilateraldestructionofsensorimotorcortex(groupI;n=12)orunilateralrubrospinaltracttransectionatthecervicallevel(C3–4)(groupⅡ;n=12).Ineachgroup,sixratswererandomlyselectedaftersurgerytoundergointramuscularinjectionofBMsolution(BMsubgroup)andtheremainingsixratswereintramuscularlyinjectedwithsaline(salinesubgroup).NeurologicaltestingconfirmedthatBMacceleratedtherecoveryofmotorfunctioninratsfrombothBMandsalinesubgroups.Twomonthsaftersurgery,Ca~(2+)-dependentacidphosphataseactivitydetectionincombinationwithChilingarian'scalciumadenosidetriphosphatemethodrevealedthatBMstimulatedthesproutingoffibersanddilatedthecapillariesinthebrainandspinalcord.TheseresultssuggestthatBMcanpromotetherecoveryofmotorfunctionofratswithcentralnervoussysteminjury;anddetectionofCa~(2+)-dependentacidphosphataseactivityisafastandeasymethodusedtostudytheregeneration-promotingeffectsofBMontheinjuredcentralnervoussystem.
