Involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and sonic hedgehog in the spinal cord plasticity after neurotoxic partial removal of lumbar motoneurons

► We induced motoneuron depletion by intramuscular injection of cholera toxin-B saporin. ► We measured plasticity-related proteins by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. ► We correlated protein expression levels each other. ► We found several proteins down-regulated after injury and correlated each other. ► We concluded that BDNF and sonic hedgehog could collaborate in modulating spinal cord plasticity.