Establishment of a spinal cord injury model in adult rats by an electrocircuit-controlled impacting device and its pathological observations.

One of the crucial challenges in medicine is the treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we established a stable and reproducible acute spinal cord injury model in adult rats. The SCI was inflicted by our self-innovated spinal cord impact device controlled by electrical circuit. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale (BBB) score, electrophysiology, histological, and immunohistochemical changes after SCI were observed. The BBB score of the injured rats began to increase from the 3rd day of SCI and reached at the score 7.2 ± 1.3 at the 28th day. The latency of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (CSEP) was not observed 2 and 6 h after injury, but appeared 24 h after injury which was significantly prolonged. It recovered from day 3 gradually to 27.3 ± 2.7 ms on day 28. H&E staining showed that the structure of gray and white matter was disrupted after the SCI. The result also showed dramatic neuron degenerations, cellular swelling, and the proliferation of glial cells. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of neuron specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament 200 (NF200) started lowering at 2 h and dropped to the bottom at 24 h. Their expression rebound from day 3 and yet to the original level at day 28 (P < 0.05). The number of cells expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) hiked from day 3, peaked at day 14, and began recovering from day 28 (P < 0.05). The changes of NSE, NF200, GFAP, and CSEP were significantly associated with the BBB score (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our self-innovated device can reproduce the injury model stably. The changes of NSE, NF, and GFAP after spinal cord injury reflect the characteristics of pathological change, which are closely associated with the functional recovery from the spinal cord injury.

[Guiding value of brain tissue oxygenation plus intracranial pressure monitoring in severe traumatic brain injury patients].

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effectiveness of brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO2) plus intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and targeted therapy in patients of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: A total of 46 patients with severe TBI (Glasgow coma scale, GCS scale ≤ 8) admitted at Jiangyin People's Hospital from June 2009 to June 2012 were divided randomly into 2 groups and evaluated prospectively.Patients undergoing ICP plus PbtO2 monitoring were compared with controls with ICP monitoring alone.Therapies of both patient groups were attempted to maintain an ICP < 20 mm Hg and a cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) ≥ 60 mm Hg.Among those with PbtO2 monitoring, oxygenation was maintained at a level of ≥ 20 mm Hg.The scores of Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) were compared between two groups at Month 6 post-injury. RESULTS: The mean daily ICP and CPP levels were similar in each group.The mortality rate was 21.7% in patients with ICP monitoring alone and the favorable outcome rate was 47.8%.However, those receiving combined management had a significantly reduced mortality rate of 8.7% and good outcome rate of 65.2% (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined use of both ICP and PbtO2 may be associated with reduced mortality and improved outcome in patients with severe TBI.