Abstract: Objective To explore the effects of task-oriented training on forelimb motor function and expression of synaptophysin andgrowth associated protein (GAP)-43 in rats after focal cerebral ischemia. Methods Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was used to induce focal cerebralischemia model in rats with forelimb dysfunction. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham operation group, model group,task-oriented training group and treadmill running group, each group was divided into 4 subgroups by 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, and 21 d. 24 hours aftermodeling, the rats in task-oriented training group were trained with forelimb reaching and the rats in the treadmill running group weretrained by treadmill, and the model group had no intervention. Motor function of rats was evaluated by net screen test, and immunohistochemistrystaining was used to observed the expression of GAP-43 and synaptophysin in cortical ischemia lesions of the rats in each groupat different time points. Results The scores of behavioral tests were better in the task-oriented training group than in the model group (P<0.01) and the treadmill group (P<0.05) on the 14th and 21st days after modeling. The expression of GAP-43 was higher in the task-orientedtraining group than in the model group (P<0.05) and the sham group (P<0.01) on the 7th and 21st days after modeling. The expression ofsynaptophysin was higher in the task-oriented training group than in the model group (P<0.05) and the sham group (P<0.05) on the 14th andthe 21st days after modeling. Conclusion Task-oriented training can facilitate the recovery of forelimb motor function of rats after focal cerebralischemia, and it may be partially related to the up-regulation of expression of GAP-43 and synaptophysin in peri-infarction cortex.

Key words: task-oriented training, cerebral ischemia, forelimb motor function, synaptophysin, growth associated protein-43, treadmill running, rats