Expression of sonic hedgehog in adult rat models of acute compressive spinal cord injury

Zhao Bin; Chen Bao; Zhao Hai-yan; Wang Shuan-ke

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2014.49.006

Abstract：BACKGROUND:In the development of nervous system, the main effect of sonic hedgehog signaling pathway is to induce the partition of dorsal and ventral sides in the central nervous system. When above signaling pathway is destroyed, ventral neurons in the central nervous system wil completely lose. OBJECTIVE: To establish adult rat models of acute compressive spinal cord injury, to detect the expression of development-related sonic hedgehog after acute compressive spinal cord injury, and to explore its effects on neural regeneration. METHODS:A total of 30 Sprague-Dawley rats at the same age were placed in a posterior compression device to establish models of acute compressive spinal cord injury. They were then randomly divided into lamina driling group (n=5) and acute spinal cord injury group (n=25). Sonic hedgehog mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization method at the injury site at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after spinal cord. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression levels of sonic hedgehog increased to the maximal expression levels in grey and white matters 10 mm distal to the lesion site at 7 days after injury. Sonic hedgehog expression was apparently less in ependymal cels than in grey and white matters and was restricted to 5 mm distal to the lesion site, being narrower in its distribution than its occurrence in grey and white matters. These data indicated that acute compressive spinal cord injury can induce the expression of sonic hedgehog. This expression maybe relates to adult neural cel regeneration.