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Pathological changes within two weeks following spinal cord injury in a canine model

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Abstract

Purposes

This study aimed to investigate the histopathological changes that occur within 2 weeks following spinal cord injury (SCI) in dogs.

Methods

Eight adult female Beagle dogs were included in this study, and SCI was induced using an epidural balloon catheter. Two dogs were killed at each of the following four time points: immediately after the procedure and 1 day, 1 week, and 2 weeks after the procedure. Neurological status was evaluated with five categories. Histopathological changes were visually observed for stained sections of formalin-fixed spinal cord to evaluate hemorrhage, spongiosis, necrosis, and gliosis morphologically.

Results

Along the 2 weeks post-injury, severe hemorrhage was observed at the primary injury site, the average diameter of which expanded quickly from 8 to 10 mm in 1 day and then decreased to 5 mm in 1 week. This indicates that the bleeding cavity expanded at the initial injury site to produce ascending and descending hemorrhage. The hemorrhage at the injury site resolved in 2 weeks. In contrast, spongiosis, parenchymal necrosis, and gliosis were first inconspicuous or mild and then became severe in 1 week or 2 weeks. Hemorrhage, hematoma, and other similar changes occurred at the regions approximately 20-mm rostral and caudal to the primary injury site. These changes were observed in both gray matter and white matter.

Conclusions

This study is the first to assess the sequential histopathological changes in the acute and intermediate phases following SCI in dogs. Our findings enhance the usefulness of the canine intervertebral disk disease model in the assessment of secondary spinal cord histopathology in human SCI.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jane Charbonneau, DVM, from Edanz Group (www.edanzediting.com/ac) for editing a draft of this manuscript.

Funding

This study did not receive any specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, and government sources or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Konoe-Cho, Yoshida, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Yuya Nakamoto, Koichi Omori & Tatsuo Nakamura

  2. Department of Regeneration Science and Engineering Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-Cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Yuya Nakamoto, Gentarou Tsujimoto & Tatsuo Nakamura

  3. Neuro Vets Animal Neurology Clinic, 550-4-4th Floor, Bishamon-Cho, Nakagyo-Ku, Kyoto, 604-0981, Japan

    Yuya Nakamoto

  4. Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Department of Graduate School of Life and Enviromental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku Ourai Kita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka, Japan

    Yuya Nakamoto

  5. Veterinary Medical Center, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku Ourai Kita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka, Japan

    Yuya Nakamoto

  6. Department of Dental Anesthesiology, School of Life Dentistry At Tokyo, The Nippon Dental University, 1-9-20, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0071, Japan

    Gentarou Tsujimoto

  7. Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Kawahara-Cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Akito Ikemoto

Authors
  1. Yuya Nakamoto
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  2. Gentarou Tsujimoto
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  3. Akito Ikemoto
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  4. Koichi Omori
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  5. Tatsuo Nakamura
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuya Nakamoto.

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Conflict of interest

Yuya Nakamoto, Gentarou Tsujimoto, Akito Ikemoto, Koichi Omori, and Tatsuo Nakamura declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Guidelines for Animal Experiments of Kyoto University (1989; approval number, R-16–28; approval date, 01 April, 2016) and the principles of laboratory animal care (NIH publication No. 86–23, revised 1985).

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Nakamoto, Y., Tsujimoto, G., Ikemoto, A. et al. Pathological changes within two weeks following spinal cord injury in a canine model. Eur Spine J 30, 3107–3114 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-021-06931-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-021-06931-z

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