Journal article
Peripheral nerve grafts after cervical spinal cord injury in adult cats
Experimental neurology, v 225(1)
2010
PMID: 20599980
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Peripheral nerve grafts (PNG) into the rat spinal cord support axon regeneration after acute or chronic injury, with synaptic reconnection across the lesion site and some level of behavioral recovery. Here, we grafted a peripheral nerve into the injured spinal cord of cats as a preclinical treatment approach to promote regeneration for eventual translational use. Adult female cats received a partial hemisection lesion at the cervical level (C7) and immediate apposition of an autologous tibial nerve segment to the lesion site. Five weeks later, a dorsal quadrant lesion was performed caudally (T1), the lesion site treated with chondroitinase ABC 2 days later to digest growth inhibiting extracellular matrix molecules, and the distal end of the PNG apposed to the injury site. After 4–20
weeks, the grafts survived in 10/12 animals with several thousand myelinated axons present in each graft. The distal end of 9/10 grafts was well apposed to the spinal cord and numerous axons extended beyond the lesion site. Intraspinal stimulation evoked compound action potentials in the graft with an appropriate latency illustrating normal axonal conduction of the regenerated axons. Although stimulation of the PNG failed to elicit responses in the spinal cord distal to the lesion site, the presence of c-Fos immunoreactive neurons close to the distal apposition site indicates that regenerated axons formed functional synapses with host neurons. This study demonstrates the successful application of a nerve grafting approach to promote regeneration after spinal cord injury in a non-rodent, large animal model.
► Long distance regeneration occurs after spinal cord injury in adult cats. ► Outgrowth from a nerve graft requires chondroitinase digestion of inhibitory matrix components. ► Regenerated axons are fully myelinated and conduct action potentials. ► Expression of cFos demonstrates synaptic contact between regenerated axons and spinal neurons.
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Details
- Title
- Peripheral nerve grafts after cervical spinal cord injury in adult cats
- Creators
- Marie-Pascale Côté - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USAAmgad Hanna - Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USAMichel A Lemay - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USAKaren Ollivier-Lanvin - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USALauren Santi - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USAKassi Miller - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USARebecca Monaghan - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USAJohn D Houlé - Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
- Publication Details
- Experimental neurology, v 225(1)
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000281339300023
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-77955663176
- Other Identifier
- 991014878257804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Neurosciences