Establishment of traumatic spinal cord injury model in rats

Abstract

Abstract: AIM: To establish a rat model for controlled spinal cord contusion injury.METHODS: Traumatic spinal cord injury model (TSCI) in rats was duplicated by controlled spinal cord contusion injury method with a BenchmarkTM stereotaxic cortical impactor. Motor function was evaluated at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 28 day after TSCI with inclined plane test and BBB score. And then morphological changes were carefully inspected in the injured part and adjacent area.RESULTS: The angle sustaining on the inclined plane and BBB score of spinal cord injured rats were significantly lower than that of sham-operated rats(P<0.01). Nerve fibers were swollen in the injured sites. Motoneurons were swollen or loss and Nissl bodies were lightly stained or even dissolved in gray matter. Microglia remarkably proliferated. Motoneuron degeneration and demyelination were observed by using cupric-silver straining and Luxol Fast Blue staining technique.CONCLUSION: The rat model for controlled spinal cord contusion injury is reproducible and suitable for the pharmacodynamic screening of neuroprotective drugs.

Key words: Traumatic spinal cord injury, Animal model, Rat, Contusion, Cupric-silver staining, Luxol Fast Blue staining

CLC Number:

GU Bing, JIN Jian-bo, LI Hua-nan, WANG Shuo-yu. Establishment of traumatic spinal cord injury model in rats[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2011, 16(7): 721-728.

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