Functional Regeneration of Rats with Nerve Injuries via Transplantation of Bamboos

Abstract

Could plants grow in animals? Could the roots of a plant facilitate the regeneration of limb functions in animals with nerve injures? Does there exist rivalry and mutual immune between plants' and animals' immune system? So far there is no experiment or research report concerning these questions. In this paper, we show the experimental answers to these questions via transplantation of bamboos. We picked 36 rats weighing 250~280g randomly, and halved them into two groups: the control group (Group A) and the experiment group (Group B). The upper part of both the first lumbar (L1) and the second lumbar (L2) of all those rats were damaged, by transecting the dorsal nerve filament, about 5mm in length. We sutured and disinfected Group A. To Group B we transplanted the roots of bamboo in the nerve transection, with the roots clinging firmly to the two ends of the severed nerve, leaving the stems and leaves outside. During the 7 weeks after the surgery the research on behavioral comparison had been made. The rats in Group A were incontinent and paralyzed on their hindquarters. There was also no needling response on their hindquarters. When applying noxious hot water (48°C) to their hindquarters, no response was observed. The rats in Group B, however, recovered well---their limbs moved freely, responded quickly to prod, and shrank rapidly when noxious hot water touched their hindquarters. The situation of the bamboo that transplanted was good, the leaves were green and the stems were tall and straight. Therefore, the experimental result demonstrates that a plant could not only grow in an animal, but its roots can also facilitate the regeneration of limbs function. And there also exists a complex mechanism of immunity rivalry between the immune system of plants and that of animals, which results in the fast regeneration of nerve signal transmission path. We name the nerve regeneration induced by animals' immunity stimulated process Nerve Stimulated Regeneration (NSR). NSR approach might be a new way to reconstruct limbs function for people who are suffering from nerve injuries.