Electroacupuncture promotes the recovery of motor neuron function in the anterior horn of the injured spinal cord

SUMMARY:A 33 year old man developed bilateral leg weakness two years following radiotherapy to the pelvis and lower abdomen for the treatment of a seminoma. Clinical and electrophysiological examinations and nerve and muscle biopsies suggest that this is an example of either post-irradiation myelopathy selectively affecting the anterior horn cells in the lower spinal cord or a purely motor lumbo-sacral radiculopathy.

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Motor neuron disease: quantitative morphological and microdensitophotometric studies of neurons of anterior horn and ventral root of cervical spinal cord with special reference to the pathogenesis

Journal of the Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1016/0022-510x(90)90204-z ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 99 (1) ◽

pp. 101-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

T. Murakami

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Motor Neuron ◽

Special Reference ◽

Motor Neuron Disease ◽

Cervical Spinal Cord ◽

Ventral Root ◽

Anterior Horn

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Identification of 17 highly expressed genes within mouse lumbar spinal cord anterior horn region from an in-situ hybridization atlas of 3430 genes: implications for motor neuron disease

Neurology International ◽

10.4081/ni.2014.5367 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Michael A. Meyer

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Motor Neuron ◽

Motor Neuron Disease ◽

Motor Neurons ◽

Ventral Horn ◽

Janus Kinase ◽

Anterior Horn ◽

Lumbar Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Motor ◽

Lumbar Spinal

In an effort to find possible new gene candidates involved in the causation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a prior version of the on-line brain gene expression atlas GENSAT was extensively searched for selectively intense expression within spinal motor neurons. Using autoradiographic data of in-situ hybridization from 3430 genes, a search for selectively intense activity was made for the anterior horn region of murine lumbar spinal cord sectioned in the axial plane. Of 3430 genes, a group of 17 genes was found to be highly expressed within the anterior horn suggesting localization to its primary cellular constituent, the alpha spinal motor neuron. For some genes, an inter-relationship to ALS was already known, such as for heavy, medium, and light neurofilaments, and peripherin. Other genes identified include: Gamma Synuclein, GDNF, SEMA3A, Extended Synaptotagmin-like protein 1, LYNX1, HSPA12a, Cadherin 22, PRKACA, TPPP3 as well as Choline Acetyltransferase, Janus Kinase 1, and the Motor Neuron and Pancreas Homeobox 1. Based on this study, Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 was found to have a particularly selective and intense localization pattern to the ventral horn and may be a good target for development of motor neuron disease therapies; further research is needed.

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Excitatory and Inhibitory Neuronal Circuits in the Spinal Cord and Their Role in the Control of Motor Neuron Function and Degeneration

ACS Chemical Neuroscience ◽

10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00503 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 211-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Uri Nimrod Ramírez-Jarquín ◽

Ricardo Tapia

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Motor Neuron ◽

Neuronal Circuits ◽

Neuron Function

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An Unusual Form of Motor Neuron Disease Following a Cat Bite

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques ◽

10.1017/s0317167100036027 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 111-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Arthur J. Hudson ◽

Harry V. Vinters ◽

R. Charles Povey ◽

Leslie A. Hatch ◽

Dean H. Percy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Motor Neuron ◽

Motor Neuron Disease ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Granulomatous Inflammation ◽

Anterior Horn ◽

Oligoclonal Bands ◽

Cytoplasmic Inclusions ◽

Anterior Horn Cells ◽

Viral Particles

ABSTRACT:A case of motor neuron disease with clinical and pathological resemblance to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a woman who was severely bitten on the ankle by a cat is described. Weakness first appeared at the ankles and relentlessly advanced proximally, terminating in death from pulmonary failure in a year. A number of unusual features that are uncharacteristic of ALS were found that included a markedly elevated antinuclear antibody titre in the serum and the presence of prominent oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid. The spinal cord showed loss of anterior horn cells and pyramidal degeneration that are characteristic of ALS, but an extraordinary finding was the presence of transmural granulomatous inflammation of numerous small and medium sized vessels, especially veins, in the subarachnoid space around the cord. There were also inflammatory changes in the brainstem and spinal cord consisting of microglial and astrocytic nodules and perivenous cuffing by mononuclear cells. Ill-defined hyaline eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions were seen in some remaining anterior horn cells. No viral particles were found by electron microscopy despite an extensive search. Virological studies were inconclusive but there is reason to believe that this patient's illness was caused by an as yet unidentified virus.

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Aggressive FUS-Mutant Motor Neuron Disease Without Profound Spinal Cord Pathology

Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology ◽

10.1093/jnen/nlaa011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 365-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yan Chen Wongworawat ◽

Yin Allison Liu ◽

Ravi Raghavan ◽

Charles L White ◽

Robin Dietz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Motor Neuron ◽

Motor Neuron Disease ◽

Motor Neurons ◽

Cell Loss ◽

Anterior Horn ◽

Low Grade ◽

Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽

Cytoplasmic Inclusions ◽

Thoracic Spinal

Abstract A 29-year-old man presented with rapidly progressive severe neck weakness, asymmetrical bilateral upper extremity weakness, bulbar dysfunction, profound muscle wasting, and weight loss. Within 1 year, his speech became unintelligible, he became gastrostomy- and tracheostomy/ventilator-dependent, and wheelchair bound. Electrophysiology suggested motor neuron disease. Whole exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous pathogenic variant in the fused in sarcoma gene (FUS), c.1574C>T,p. R525L, consistent with autosomal dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Autopsy revealed extensive denervation atrophy of skeletal musculature. Surprisingly, there was only minimal patchy depletion of motor neurons within the cervico-thoracic spinal cord anterior horn cells, and the tracts were largely preserved. TDP-43 inclusions were absent. Abnormal expression of FUS mutation product (cytoplasmic inclusions) was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry within anterior horn motor neurons. The most prominent finding was a disparity between profound neck weakness and relatively low-grade anterior horn cell loss or tract degeneration in the cervico-thoracic cord.

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