Morino T, Ogata T, Takeba J, Yamamoto H
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ehime University, School of Medicine, Tohon, Ehime, Japan.
Spinal Cord. 2008 Jun;46(6):425-31. doi: 10.1038/sj.sc.3102163. Epub 2008 Mar 4.
A basic study using a spinal cord injury (SCI) model in rats.
The effect of mild hypothermic treatment on histological changes and motor function after a rat spinal cord compression injury was assessed.
Mild spinal cord compression was performed at the eleventh thoracic vertebral level by a 20 g weight for 20 min. Rats in the mild hypothermic model were kept at a body temperature of 33 degrees C and rats in the normothermic group were kept at 37 degrees C for 1 h from beginning of compression. Motor function was evaluated by measuring the frequency of standing. Microglia were stained by isolectin B4 and observed in the compressed portion of the spinal cord. The amount of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the compressed spinal cord was measured by the ELISA method.
In the normothermic rats, microglia proliferated up to 72 h after the compression. Proliferation was substantially inhibited at 48 and 72 h after compression in the hypothermic rats. The motor function of the hypothermic rats improved at 48 and 72 h after the compression, whereas no improvement was seen in the normothermic rats. The amount of TNF-alpha in the compressed portion of the spinal cord was lower in hypothermic rats compared with normothermic rats throughout the experiment.
These results suggest that hypothermic treatment is effective for the amelioration of delayed motor dysfunction via inhibition of microglial inflammatory responses.
一项使用大鼠脊髓损伤（SCI）模型的基础研究。
评估轻度低温治疗对大鼠脊髓压迫损伤后组织学变化和运动功能的影响。
在第十一个胸椎水平用20克重物进行轻度脊髓压迫20分钟。轻度低温模型中的大鼠体温维持在33摄氏度，正常体温组的大鼠从压迫开始后1小时起体温维持在37摄氏度。通过测量站立频率来评估运动功能。用异凝集素B4对小胶质细胞进行染色，并在脊髓受压部位进行观察。用ELISA法测量受压脊髓中肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）的含量。
在正常体温的大鼠中，小胶质细胞在压迫后72小时内增殖。在低温大鼠中，压迫后48小时和72小时增殖受到显著抑制。低温大鼠的运动功能在压迫后48小时和72小时有所改善，而正常体温大鼠则未见改善。在整个实验过程中，低温大鼠脊髓受压部位的TNF-α含量低于正常体温大鼠。
这些结果表明，低温治疗通过抑制小胶质细胞炎症反应，对改善延迟性运动功能障碍有效。
