scholarly journals Abnormalities in spinal cord ultrastructure in a rat model of post-traumatic syringomyelia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Berliner ◽  
Sarah Hemley ◽  
Elmira Najafi ◽  
Lynne Bilston ◽  
Marcus Stoodley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Post Traumatic

scholarly journals Detection of locomotion deficit in a post-traumatic syringomyelia rat model using automated gait analysis technique

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0252559
Author(s):  
Dipak D. Pukale ◽  
Mahmoud Farrag ◽  
Nic D. Leipzig
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Gait Analysis ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Dispersion Parameters ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Contact Width ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Step Contact

Syringomyelia (SM) is a spinal cord disorder in which a cyst (syrinx) filled with fluid forms in the spinal cord post-injury/disease, in patients syrinx symptoms include loss of pain and temperature sensation or locomotion deficit. Currently, there are no small animal models and connected tools to help study the functional impacts of SM. The objective of this study was to determine the detectability of subtle locomotion deficits due to syrinx formation/expansion in post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTSM) rat model using the recently reported method of Gait Analysis Instrumentation, and Technology Optimized for Rodents (GAITOR) with Automated Gait Analysis Through Hues and Areas (AGATHA) technique. First videos of the rats were collected while walking in an arena (using GAITOR) followed by extracting meaningful locomotion information from collected videos using AGATHA protocol. PTSM injured rats demonstrated detectable locomotion deficits in terms of duty factor imbalance, paw placement accuracy, step contact width, stride length, and phase dispersion parameters compared to uninjured rats due to SM. We concluded that this technique could detect mild and subtle locomotion deficits associated with PTSM injury, which also in future work could be used further to monitor locomotion responses after different treatment strategies for SM.

scholarly journals Detection of Locomotion Deficit in a Post-Traumatic Syringomyelia Rat Model Using Automated Gait Analysis Technique

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipak D. Pukale ◽  
Mahmoud Farrag ◽  
Nic D. Leipzig
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Gait Analysis ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Dispersion Parameters ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Contact Width ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Step Contact

Syringomyelia (SM) is a spinal cord disorder in which a cyst (syrinx) filled with fluid forms in the spinal cord post-injury/disease, in patients syrinx symptoms include loss of pain and temperature sensitivity or locomotion deficit. Currently, there are no small animal models and connected tools to help study the functional impacts of SM. The objective of this study was to determine the detectability of subtle locomotion deficits due to syrinx formation/expansion in post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTSM) rat model using the recently reported method of gait analysis instrumentation, and technology optimized for rodents (GAITOR) with automated gait analysis through hues and areas (AGATHA) technique. First videos of the rats were collected while walking in an arena (using GAITOR) followed by extracting meaningful locomotion information from collected videos (using AGATHA software). PTSM injured rats demonstrated detectable locomotion deficits in terms of duty factor imbalance, paw placement accuracy, step contact width, stride length, and phase dispersion parameters compared to uninjured rats due to SM. We concluded that this technique could detect mild and subtle locomotion deficits associated with PTSM injury, which also in future work could be used further to monitor locomotion responses after different treatment strategies for SM.

The 3D characteristics of post-traumatic syringomyelia in a rat model: a propagation-based synchrotron radiation microtomography study

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1218-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shenghui Liao ◽  
Shuangfei Ni ◽  
Yong Cao ◽  
Xianzhen Yin ◽  
Tianding Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Synchrotron Radiation ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
3D Visualization ◽  
Spinal Cord Tissue ◽  
3D Morphology ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Cystic Cavity ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Synchrotron Radiation Microtomography

Many published literature sources have described the histopathological characteristics of post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS). However, three-dimensional (3D) visualization studies of PTS have been limited due to the lack of reliable 3D imaging techniques. In this study, the imaging efficiency of propagation-based synchrotron radiation microtomography (PB-SRµCT) was determined to detect the 3D morphology of the cavity and surrounding microvasculature network in a rat model of PTS. The rat model of PTS was established using the infinite horizon impactor to produce spinal cord injury (SCI), followed by a subarachnoid injection of kaolin to produce arachnoiditis. PB-SRµCT imaging and histological examination, as well as fluorescence staining, were conducted on the animals at the tenth week after SCI. The 3D morphology of the cystic cavity was vividly visualized using PB-SRµCT imaging. The quantitative parameters analyzed by PB-SRµCT, including the lesion and spared spinal cord tissue area, the minimum and maximum diameters in the cystic cavity, and cavity volume, were largely consistent with the results of the histological assessment. Moreover, the 3D morphology of the cavity and surrounding angioarchitecture could be simultaneously detected on the PB-SRµCT images. This study demonstrated that high-resolution PB-SRµCT could be used for the 3D visualization of trauma-induced spinal cord cavities and provides valuable quantitative data for cavity characterization. PB-SRµCT could be used as a reliable imaging technique and offers a novel platform for tracking cavity formation and morphological changes in an experimental animal model of PTS.

scholarly journals Multi-pronged neuromodulation intervention engages the residual motor circuitry to facilitate walking in a rat model of spinal cord injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Bonizzato ◽  
Nicholas D. James ◽  
Galyna Pidpruzhnykova ◽  
Natalia Pavlova ◽  
Polina Shkorbatova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Lumbar Spinal Cord ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Potential Synergy ◽  
Lumbar Spinal ◽  
Deep Brain

AbstractA spinal cord injury usually spares some components of the locomotor circuitry. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the midbrain locomotor region and epidural electrical stimulation of the lumbar spinal cord (EES) are being used to tap into this spared circuitry to enable locomotion in humans with spinal cord injury. While appealing, the potential synergy between DBS and EES remains unknown. Here, we report the synergistic facilitation of locomotion when DBS is combined with EES in a rat model of severe contusion spinal cord injury leading to leg paralysis. However, this synergy requires high amplitudes of DBS, which triggers forced locomotion associated with stress responses. To suppress these undesired responses, we link DBS to the intention to walk, decoded from cortical activity using a robust, rapidly calibrated unsupervised learning algorithm. This contingency amplifies the supraspinal descending command while empowering the rats into volitional walking. However, the resulting improvements may not outweigh the complex technological framework necessary to establish viable therapeutic conditions.

scholarly journals A Collagen-Based Scaffold for Promoting Neural Plasticity in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2245
Author(s):  
Jue-Zong Yeh ◽  
Ding-Han Wang ◽  
Juin-Hong Cherng ◽  
Yi-Wen Wang ◽  
Gang-Yi Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Collagen Scaffold ◽  
Glial Scar ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Cord Injury

In spinal cord injury (SCI) therapy, glial scarring formed by activated astrocytes is a primary problem that needs to be solved to enhance axonal regeneration. In this study, we developed and used a collagen scaffold for glial scar replacement to create an appropriate environment in an SCI rat model and determined whether neural plasticity can be manipulated using this approach. We used four experimental groups, as follows: SCI-collagen scaffold, SCI control, normal spinal cord-collagen scaffold, and normal control. The collagen scaffold showed excellent in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. Immunofluorescence staining revealed increased expression of neurofilament and fibronectin and reduced expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and anti-chondroitin sulfate in the collagen scaffold-treated SCI rats at 1 and 4 weeks post-implantation compared with that in untreated SCI control. This indicates that the collagen scaffold implantation promoted neuronal survival and axonal growth within the injured site and prevented glial scar formation by controlling astrocyte production for their normal functioning. Our study highlights the feasibility of using the collagen scaffold in SCI repair. The collagen scaffold was found to exert beneficial effects on neuronal activity and may help in manipulating synaptic plasticity, implying its great potential for clinical application in SCI.

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