Early neurohistopathological changes of canine lumbosacral spinal cord segments in ischemia-reperfusion-induced paraplegia.

Mapping the canine lumbosacral spinal cord neurons damaged by ischemia-reperfusion after high thoracic aorta ligation was performed using the Nauta degenerating method. Highly Nauta-positive perikarya of the long ascending projection systems in the 4th to 6th dorsal layer, interneurons in the 7th layer and motoneurons in the 8th and 9th layers in L3-S3 segments subjected to 30 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion were localized and their laminar distribution was specified. Spastic paraplegia fully developed 2 days postoperatively after 30 min of aortic ligation is neurohistopathologically characterized by occurrence of enlarged Nauta-positive boutons with prevailing localization in the 4th to 8th layer of the gray matter.