Establishment and evaluation of the animal model of acute spinal cord injury

Wu Yang-peng; Fan Xiao; Zhang Li

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2016.49.007

Abstract：BACKGROUND:There are a variety of methods for modeling spinal cord injury at home and abroad, showing their own advantages and disadvantages, but not yet a kind of objective and standardized model meeting the clinical research. <br> OBJECTIVE:To design a simple impactor used for establishing the spinal cord injury model, then to evaluate the parameters and stability of the Al en’s spinal cord injury model through comparing with the New York University (NYU) impactor established model. <br> METHODS:Female rats were equivalently al otted into five groups:sham-operation group (group A), self-made impactor 5 and 10 cm groups (group B1 and B2) and NYU 1.25 and 2.5 cm groups (group C1 and C2). Al groups except group A were subjected to striking at different heights. Behavioral scores were detected at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after modeling. Nissl staining was used to observe the morphological changes after freezing section and semiquantitative analysis. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) At the same time point, the behavioral scores, damaged area ratio of spinal cord and semiquantitative analysis of dorsal horn neurons showed significant differences in the group A compared with the other groups, also between groups B1 and B2, and groups C1 and C2 (P<0.05), but no significant differences were found between groups B1 and C1, as well as groups B2 and C2 (P>0.05). (2) In the group A, there was a clear boundary between the grey and white matter in a butterfly shape, numerous neurons with large nucleus and obvious nucleolus, and plaques or tabby of Nissl body appeared in the cytoplasm. In contrast, in the other four groups, there were few neurons, different degrees of Gore focal, swelling, demyelinating, and vacuole of cellula could be found, and Nissl body was fuzzy or disappeared. These results administrate that the self-made impactor can establish different damage degrees of spinal cord inury models, which are close to the NYU-made models. Moreover, it can be helpful for study on spinal cord injury for reasons of good stability, low cost, and operated easily.