Correlation of Pathological Findings with MRI Imaging in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Hyperacute Time Period in Non Human Primate Model

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (TSCI) remains a significant cause of human suffering. The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 250,000 to 500,000 new cases every year. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been an important advancement in the diagnosis and management of TSCI. Nevertheless, there is a lack of literature correlating the radiological abnormalities and histopathological findings in the first hour (i.e., hyperacute period) after injury. The aim of this preliminary study is to elucidate the relationship between the MRI abnormalities and histopathological abnormalities in the hyperacute time period. In this study, a non-human primate model (NHP) primate model is used to characterize the histopathological and radiological features. Specifically, an experimental TSCI is created with an epidural catheter. This is followed by MRI imaging. The subject is then humanely euthanized and a post-mortem examination is completed. These results suggest that the noted radiological abnormalities are consistent with a combination of hemorrhage, edema as well as eosinophilic cellular matter in the central canal.

The MRI manifestations of intramedullary germinoma of the spinal cord:a case report and review of the literature

Primary germinoma in the spinal cord is very rare. Preoperative diagnosis is important because germinomas are sensitive to radiation therapy and chemotherapy so that treatment trends and prognosis differ from other intramedullary spinal cord tumors. Preoperative radiologic diagnosis is very difficult because of this rarity. In this case a 22-year-old woman with a 4-month history of gradual numbness and weakness of both lower extremities was found to have a solid tumor in the thoracic cord between the T9 and T11 vertebral bodies. No other neoplastic lesion was found inside or outside the central nervous system. The patient underwent surgery, and the intrarnedullary lesion was almost totally resected. Serum HCG was elevated postoperatively without pregnancy. The pathological diagnosis was conclusively that of a germinoma. The previous 23 cases of primary spinal cord germinoma were reviewed for comparison.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis(ISCM) is very rare and its optimal treatment remains controversial. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor(pNET) is a rare tumor that usually presents with hepatic metastasis. Hepatic failure due to tumor progression is the major cause of death in cases of pNET. To date,no report has described a case of ISCM from pNET. Although spinal cord metastasis of a solid tumor is uncommon,it is a critical condition that can cause a potentially irreversible loss of neurologic function. Here,we report the case of a 45-year-old man who presented with leg weakness and voiding difficulty,and was found to have ISCM from pNET. Surgical treatment prevented further neurological deterioration. This is the first case report of ISCM from pNET.

Dual neuronal response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha following spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND： Numerous studies have shown that tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α） is closely correlated with spinal cord injury （SCI）, but the mechanisms of TNF-α and therapeutic treatments for SCI are still poorly understood. OBJECTIVE： To determine the role of TNF-α in the pathogenesis of SCI. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： An in vivo experiment based on genetically engineered animals was performed at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, between June 2007 and October 2008. MATERIALS： TNF-α transgenic rats （Xenogen Biosciences in Cranbury, New Jersey, USA） were utilized in this study. METHODS： TNF-α transgenic （tg） and wild-type （WT） rats underwent a complete single-level laminectomy at the 10^th thoracic vertebra （T10）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Motor function of rat hindlimb was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan hindlimb locomotor rating scale. Histological evaluation of spinal cord tissue loss was conducted. Immunohistochemistry for astrocytes, microglia/macrophages, and TNF receptors （TNFRs） was performed on spinal cord tissue sections. TNF-α mRNA expression was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The concentrations of nerve growth factor （NGF） and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in the supernatant were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for rat NGF or BDNF, respectively. The rats were injected subcutaneously with etanercept to verify that TNF-α was the direct effect of the modulation of behavioral and neurodegenerative outcomes in the TNF-α tg rats. RESULTS： TNF-α tg rats showed higher expression of TNF-α mRNA in the spinal cord prior to SCI. TNF-α tg rats showed worse motor deficits than WT rats in the acute period （〈 3 days） after SCI （P 〈 0.01）, while in the chronic period, TNF-α tg rats exhibited persistent elevated baseline levels of TNF-α mRNA and improved recovery in motor function and tissue healing compared to WT rats （P 〈 0.01 ）. Following SCI, the number of microglia/macrophages in TNF-α tg rat was always greater than in WT rat （P 〈 0.01）. There were no significant differences in NGF and BDNF levels in the supernatant of spinal cord homogenates. TNFR1 expression was significantly greater in the TNF-α tg rats compared to the WT rats （P 〈 0.01）. However, TNFR2 expression did not reveal a significant increase in the TNF-α tg rats compared to the WT rats. Finally, treatment with etanercept reduced injury acutely, but exacerbated the injury chronically. CONCLUSION： Overexpression of TNF-α is deleterious in the acute phase, but beneficial in the chronic phase in the response to SCI. The role of TNF-α post-injury may depend on TNF-α expression in the spinal cord and its differential binding to TNFRI. Our observations may have clinical relevance that antagonists or inhibitors of TNF-α could be administered within the early time window post-injury, and appropriate amounts of TNF-α could be administered during the chronic stage, in order to improve the final neurological recovery in patients with SCI.

Spinal Cord Infarction with a Negative MRI Finding: A Case Report and Literature Review

Introduction: Spinal cord infarction (SCI) is a relatively rare disease. Abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important diagnostic criterion. It may be normal on the first day. Then abnormal signal will appear a few days later. There were some reports with negative MRI findings at the beginning. However, those reports were neither found abnormalities on repeat MRI nor without repeat MRI. Case Presentation: We report a case of SCI presented as paralysis of lower limbs and chest pain with no abnormalities on MRI through the course of disease in a 74-year-old female. Anti-platelet aggregation drugs, stabilizing plaque treatments and rehabilitation exercise were performed. The patient recovered significantly. She could walk independently a month after the onset. Conclusions: Although MRI provides important evidence for diagnosis, clinical manifestations are the most important when diagnosing. For patients who were highly suspected of SCI clinically, treatment for vascular diseases should be applied as soon as possible even if no lesion is found on imaging examination.

Metastatic Spinal Tumors: Diagnostic Methods, Management and Prognosis at the Yaounde Central Hospital and Yaounde General Hospital

Introduction: Metastatic spinal tumors (MST) refer to secondary involvement of the vertebral column by hematogenously-disseminated metastatic cells. They could affect either the bony structures or the spinal cords. Mechanical instability and neurologic deficits resulting from spinal cord compression are the most common manifestations. Surgical intervention remains the most effective treatment for about 20% of patients who present with spinal cord compression. The prognosis is relatively poor. This work has as objectives to describe: the diagnostic tools, the different modalities of management and the prognostic elements of spine metastasis. Methodology: We conducted an ambispective cross-sectional descriptive study;with retrospective data collection from January 2015 to December 2021 and prospective collection from January to April 2022 in the “Neurosurgery” unit of the Yaounde Central Hospital and the “Oncology and Neurosurgery” units of Yaounde General Hospital. Result: We included 101 patients. The M/F sex ratio was 1.66. The average age of the participants was 56.44 years (±14.19 SD) with a median of 58 years. Metastatic spinal tumors were discovered in 61.39% of patients with a previously known primary tumor and 21.78% of patients had newly discovered tumors. The neurologic examination revealed a vertebral syndrome in 79.21% of cases, radicular syndrome in 60.40% and sub-lesional syndrome in 59.89%. Sensory disorders accounted for 39.60% and sphincter disorders accounted for 34.65%. According to the degree of severity, the lesions were classified as Frankel E (37.62%) followed by Frankel D (21.78%). Metastatic lesions were mostly found at the thoracic vertebrae (68.25%) and lumbar vertebrae (22.22%). The most represented primary tumors were: prostate tumors (41.58%) and breast tumors (23.76%);followed by malignant hemopathies (15.84%). Computed-tomography scan (CT-scan) was the most frequent diagnostic imaging technique used (71.28%). Analgesic treatment mostly involved level II analgesia (64.36%). High dose steroid therapy (greater than 80mg/24h) was used in more than half of the patients. Radiation therapy was performed in 24.75% of the patients, chemotherapy in 55.44% and specific surgical interventions performed in 20.79%. The most frequent surgical indication was complete motor deficit according to the Frankel classification (47.21%). One patient in four (23.76%) experienced improvement in functional prognosis with increased muscle strength after a period of 2 weeks to 5 months of treatment. About 1 in 10 patients (8.8%) rather had worsening of their neurologic status. We observed that there was a correlation between spine surgery and improvement in muscle strength (P-value less than 0.05). Patients (12) who had better recovery or preserved gait were those with partial compression (P-value = 0.0143). Four out of five patients (81.18%) of our series had an estimated survival of less than one year according to the Tokuhashi score. Conclusion: MSTs are frequent in our context. Most patients sought consultation late after the first symptoms appeared (principally back pain). The clinical examination revealed a high proportion of patients with spinal cord compression syndrome. Medical treatment was first-line for the management of pain and most patients who underwent surgical treatment had complete neurologic deficits. The functional prognosis was found to be improved by surgery and the vital prognosis depended on the Tokuhashi score, with better accuracy when the prediction is more than 12 months.

The role of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in intramedullary spinal cord tumor surgery

Intramedullary tumors are a class of central nervous system tumors with an incidence of 2 to 4%.As they are located very deep and frequently cause postoperative neurological complications,surgical resection is difficult.In recent years,many surgeons have performed electrophysiological monitoring to effectively reduce the occurrence of post-operative neurological complications.Modern electrophysiological monitoring technology has advanced considerably,leading to the development of many monitoring methods,such as SSEPs,MEPs,DCM,and EMG,to monitor intramedullary tumors.However,electrophysiological monitoring in tumor resection is still being studied.In this article,we discussed the different monitoring methods and their role in monitoring intramedullary tumors by reviewing previous studies.Intratumorally tumors need to be monitored for a summary of the condition of the patient.Only by using various monitoring methods flexibly and through clear communication between surgeons and neurophysiological experts can good decisions be made during surgery and positive surgical results be achieved.

Surgical Management of Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors: Surgical Resection and Prognosis

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The majority of intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCT) are low-grade gliomas. Radical resection for IMSCTs remains challenging. Recently, improved neuroimaging and advanced microsurgical technique have made great success in surgical management of the intramedullary spinal cord tumors. METH-ODS & RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with intramedullary spinal cord tumors were treated by radical resection dur-ing the past 4 years in our institute. The histological results were as follows: 12 ependymomas, 4 astrocytomas, 4 heman-gioblastomas, 4 epidermoids, 1 cavernoma, 2 lipomas, 2 metastatics. A gross -total resection (】 95%) was achieved in 25 surgical procedures. Subtotal resections (80-95% ) were performed in 4 cases. There was no surgical death.When comparing the preoperative and 3-month postoperative functional grades, 12 patients were stable 14 improved,and 3 deteriorated. Patients with either no deficit or only mild deficit before surgery were rarely impaired by the proce-dure, reinforcing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. The major determinant of long-term survival was histologi-cal composition of the tumor. Patients in whom an IMSCT was only partially resected (【80% ) fared significantly worse. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term survival and quality of life for patients with low-grade gliomas treated by radi-cal resection alone is comparable or superior to minimal resection plus radiotherapy. The optimal therapy for patients with high-grade glioma is yet to be determined. For benign lesion, such as hemangioblastoma and cavernoma could be cured by total resection of the tumor. For lipoma and epidermoid, fibrous adhesions to the cord make total removal difficult,and thus, removal is not the goal of surgery. The carbon dioxide laser is particularly useful during surgery for this lesion.

Differential study of DCE-MRI parameters in spinal metastatic tumors, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis

Objective： In the present study, spinal metastatic tumors, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis werequantitatively analyzed using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging （DCE-MRI） to assess thevalue of DCE-MRI in the differential diagnosis of these diseases.Methods： Patients with brucellar spondylitis, spinal tuberculosis or a spinal metastatic tumor （30 cases of each）received conventional MRI and DCE-MRI examination. The volume transfer constant （Ktrans）, rate constant （Kep）,extravascular extracellular volume fraction （Ve） and plasma volume fraction （Vp） of the diseased vertebral bodieswere measured on the perfusion parameter map, and the differences in these parameters between the patients werecompared.Results： For pathological vertebrae in cases of spinal metastatic tumor, brucellar spondylitis and spinaltuberculosis, respectively, the Ktrans values （median ＋ quartile pitch） were 0.989±0.014, 0.720±0.011 and0.317±0.005 min-1; the Kep values were 2.898±0.055, 1.327±0.017 and 0.748±0.006 min-1; the Ve values were0.339±0.008, 0.542±0.013 and 0.428±0.018; the Vp values were 0.048±0.008, 0.035±0.004 and 0.028±0.009; thecorresponding H values were 50.25 （for Ktrans）, 52.47 （for Kep）, 48.33 （for Ve） and 46.56 （for Vp）, and all differenceswere statistically significant （two-sided P〈0.05）.Conclusions： The quantitative analysis of DCE-MRI has a certain value in the differential diagnosis of spinalmetastatic tumor, brucellar spondylitis and spinal tuberculosis.

Leveraging nano-engineered mesenchymal stem cells for intramedullary spinal cord tumor treatment

Intramedullary spinal cord tumor(IMSCT)is comparatively rare malignant tumor in the central nervous system and is very difficult accessible by conventional chemotherapy regimen.Currently,there are very limited researches for IMSCT treatment using nanomedicine.To fill this gap,we originally reported a targeted strategy by leveraging nano-engineered mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)for synergistic antiIMSCT treatment.In this study,two mode drugs paclitaxel(PTX)and metformin(MET)were co-loaded in maleimide-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolicacid)(PLGA-MAL)nanoparticles,which were further conjugated onto MSCs surface via the thioether bond formed between PLGA-MAL and MSCs without affecting the migration ability of MSCs.Owing to the excellent tumor tropism and penetrability of MSCs and good biodegradability of PLGA,the designed drug delivery platform could accurately target IMSCT sites to exert long-term synergistic antitumor efficacy,exhibiting promising research value for alternative IMSCT management beyond surgery.

MRI and EM Observation of Repair Effect of Implantation of Microgene pSVPoMcat Modified SC on Injured Spinal Cord

Objective To approach the effect of microgene pSVPoMcat modified Schwan n cell (SC) on the regeneration and repair of injured spinal cord.Method Spinal cord hemi－transection models were made with the cutting method in healthy SD ra ts. Microgene pSVPoMcat modified SC(group A),highly purified SC(group B),and glu tin sponge (control group C)were randomly implanted into the cut. After 3 month living ,the host rats were scanned by MRI, and observed under EM. Result Spinal signals at the injury region nearly recovered to normal in group A.No recovery w as found in group B.Malacosis was found in group C.TEM findings: regeneration of large number of myelinated and nonmyelinated axons and SC proliferation in grou p A, myelinated axon regeneration and SC necrosis in group B, non myelinated and nonmyelinated axon in group C.Conclusion Implantation of microgene pSVPoMcat mo dified SC could promote the repair of injured spinal cord.

Early rehabilitation improves neurofunctional outcome after surgery in children with spinal tumors

To investigate the effect of early rehabilitation on neurofunctional outcome after surgery in chil- dren with spinal tumors, this study reviewed the medical charts and radiographic records of 70 pediatric patients （1-17 years old） who received spinal tumor surgical removal. The peddiatric patients received rahabilitation treatment at 4 （range, 2-7） days after surgery for 10 （range, 7-23） days. Results from the Modified McCormick Scale, Functional Independence Measure for Chil- dren, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale and Karnofsky Performance Status Scale demonstrated that the sensory function, motor function and activity of daily living of pedi- atric children who received early rehabilitation were significantly improved. Results also showed that tumor setting and level localization as well as patients＇s clinical symptoms have no influences on neurofunctional outcomes.

“Three Methods and Three Points” regulates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury

Tuina is a traditional Chinese treatment for sensory disturbances caused by peripheral nerve injury and related diseases. Our previous studies showed that tuina regulates relevant regions and indices of the spinal dorsal horn using the Dian, Bo, and Rou method in Yinmen（BL37）, Yanglingquan（GB34）, and Weizhong（BL40）. Treatment prevents muscle atrophy, protects spinal cord neurons, and promotes sciatic nerve repair. The mechanisms of action of tuina for treating peripheral nerve injury remain poorly understood. This study established rat models of sciatic nerve injury using the crushing method. Rats received Chinese tuina in accordance with the principle of ＂Three Methods and Three Points,＂ once daily for 20 days. Tuina intervention reduced paw withdrawal latency and improved wet weight of the gastrocnemius muscle, as well as promoting morphological recovery of sciatic nerve fibers, Schwann cells, and axons. The protein expression levels of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β also decreased. These findings indicate that ＂Three Methods and Three Points＂ promoted morphological recovery and improved behavior of rats with peripheral nerve injury.

Granulocytic sarcoma with long spinal cord compression:A case report

BACKGROUND As an extramedullary form of proliferating myeloblasts,granulocytic sarcoma(GS)is common in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.GS in the central nervous system is rare,and an intraspinal space-occupying lesion caused by GS is even rarer.Surgical decompression is often necessary to remove the intraspinal space-occupying lesion.To the best of our knowledge,we report,for the first time a case of GS that caused extensive compression in the spinal canal without surgical decompression treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 15-year-old male suddenly developed numbness and weakness in his lower limbs for 10 d,which affected his walking ability.Acute myeloid leukemia was later diagnosed in the Department of Hematology.Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that multiple segmental space-occupying lesions were causing severe spinal cord compression in the thoracic spinal canal.As a result,the patient received routine chemotherapy before surgery.Interestingly,the intraspinal space-occupying lesions completely diminished on magnetic resonance imaging after a course of chemotherapy,and the sensation and strength in his lower limbs markedly recovered.CONCLUSION An intraspinal space-occupying lesion could be the first symptom of acute myeloid leukemia,causing spinal nerve compression without any other symptoms.Following standard chemotherapy,spinal canal compression can be quickly relieved,and the spinal cord and nerve function restored,avoiding emergency surgery.

Ultra-High Field Diffusion MRI Reveals Early Axonal Pathology in Spinal Cord of ALS mice

Background:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)is a disease characterized by a progressive degeneration of motor neurons leading to paralysis.Our previous MRI diffusion tensor imaging studies detected early white matter changes in the spinal cords of mice carrying the G93A-SOD1 mutation.Here,we extend those studies using ultra-high field MRI(17.6 T)and fluorescent microscopy to investigate the appearance of early structural and connectivity changes in the spinal cords of ALS mice.Methods:The spinal cords from presymptomatic and symptomatic mice(80 to 120 days of age)were scanned(ex-vivo)using diffusion-weighted MRI.The fractional anisotropy(FA),axial(AD)and radial(RD)diffusivities were calculated for axial slices from the thoracic,cervical and lumbar regions of the spinal cords.The diffusion parameters were compared with fluorescence microscopy and membrane cellular markers from the same tissue regions.Results:At early stages of the disease(day 80)in the lumbar region,we found,a 19% decrease in FA,a 9% decrease in AD and a 35% increase in RD.Similar changes were observed in cervical and thoracic spinal cord regions.Differences between control and ALS mice groups at the symptomatic stages(day 120)were larger.Quantitative fluorescence microscopy at 80 days,demonstrated a 22% reduction in axonal area and a 22% increase in axonal density.Tractography and quantitative connectome analyses measured by edge weights showed a 52%decrease in the lumbar regions of the spinal cords of this ALS mice group.A significant increase in ADC(23.3%)in the ALS mice group was related to an increase in aquaporin markers.Conclusions:These findings suggest that the combination of ultra-high field diffusion MRI with fluorescent ALS mice reporters is a useful approach to detect and characterize presymptomatic white matter micro-ultrastructural changes and axonal connectivity anomalies in ALS.

Spinal cord biological safety of image-guided radiation therapy versus conventional radiation therapy

Tumor models were simulated in purebred Beagles at the T9-10 levels of the spinal cord and treated with spinal image-guided radiation therapy or conventional radiation therapy with 50 or 70 Gy total radiation. Three months after radiation, neuronal injury at the T9-10 levels was observed, including reversible injury induced by spinal image-guided radiation therapy and apoptosis induced by conventional radiation therapy. The number of apoptotic cells and expression of the proapoptotic protein Fas were significantly reduced, but expression of the anti-apoptotic protein heat shock protein 70 was significantly increased after image-guided radiation therapy compared with the conventional method of the same radiation dose. Moreover, the spinal cord cell apoptotic index positively correlated with the ratio of Fas/heat shock protein 70. These findings indicate that 3 months of radiation therapy can induce a late response in the spinal cord to radiation therapy; image-guided radiation therapy is safer and results in less neuronal injury compared with conventional radiation therapy.

Electrical stimulation and denervated muscles after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury(SCI)population with injury below T10 or injury to the cauda equina region is characterized by denervated muscles,extensive muscle atrophy,infiltration of intramuscular fat and formation of fibrous tissue.These morphological changes may put individuals with SCI at higher risk for developing other diseases such as various cardiovascular diseases,diabetes,obesity and osteoporosis.Currently,there is no available rehabilitation intervention to rescue the muscles or restore muscle size in SCI individuals with lower motor neuron denervation.We,hereby,performed a review of the available evidence that supports the use of electrical stimulation in restoration of denervated muscle following SCI.Long pulse width stimulation(LPWS)technique is an upcoming method of stimulating denervated muscles.Our primary objective is to explore the best stimulation paradigms(stimulation parameters,stimulation technique and stimulation wave)to achieve restoration of the denervated muscle.Stimulation parameters,such as the pulse duration,need to be 100–1000 times longer than in innervated muscles to achieve desirable excitability and contraction.The use of electrical stimulation in animal and human models induces muscle hypertrophy.Findings in animal models indicate that electrical stimulation,with a combination of exercise and pharmacological interventions,have proven to be effective in improving various aspects like relative muscle weight,muscle cross sectional area,number of myelinated regenerated fibers,and restoring some level of muscle function.Human studies have shown similar outcomes,identifying the use of LPWS as an effective strategy in increasing muscle cross sectional area,the size of muscle fibers,and improving muscle function.Therefore,displaying promise is an effective future stimulation intervention.In summary,LPWS is a novel stimulation technique for denervated muscles in humans with SCI.Successful studies on LPWS of denervated muscles will help in translating this stimulation technique to the clinical level as a rehabilitation intervention after SCI.

Inhibition of inflammatory cytokines after early decompression may mediate recovery of neurological function in rats with spinal cord injury

A variety of inlfammatory cytokines are involved in spinal cord injury and inlfuence the recov-ery of neuronal function. In the present study, we established a rat model of acute spinal cord injury by cerclage. The cerclage suture was released 8 or 72 hours later, to simulate decompres-sion surgery. Neurological function was evaluated behaviorally for 3 weeks after surgery, and tumor necrosis factorα immunoreactivity and apoptosis were quantiifed in the region of injury. Rats that underwent decompression surgery had significantly weaker immunoreactivity of tumor necrosis factorα and signiifcantly fewer apoptotic cells, and showed faster improvement of locomotor function than animals in which decompression surgery was not performed. De-compression at 8 hours resulted in signiifcantly faster recovery than that at 72 hours. These data indicate that early decompression may improve neurological function after spinal cord injury by inhibiting the expression of tumor necrosis factorα.

Neuroprotective effects of salvianolic acid B on secondary spinal cord damage

Salvianolic acid B （Sal B）, an effective ingredient of Danshen （salvia miltiorrhiza root）, has been shown to exhibit anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The present study investigated whether Sal B has a neuroprotective effect on secondary spinal cord injury when administrated alone. In addition, the effects of Sal B on attenuating expression of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） following acute spinal cord injury were analyzed, as well as the effects of combined treatment of Sal B and etanercept. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that Sal B significantly reduced matrix metalloproteinase-1 and c-Fos expression at 24 hours after spinal cord injury, and decreased tissue edema was detected using the dry-wet weight method at 3 days after injury. In addition, Sal B significantly promoted recovery of motor function in rats. These effects were most significant at a dose of 20 mg/kg Sal B. At 24 hours after spinal cord injury, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay results showed that Sal B, etanercept, or the combination significantly suppressed increased TNF-α mRNA and protein expression, although the combination resulted in more significant outcomes. These results suggested that Sal B exerted neuroprotective effects against secondary spinal cord injury by reducing expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1, c-Fos, and TNF-α. Moreover, Sal B combined with etanercept resulted in more significant anti-inflammatory effects.

Prevention against diffuse spinal cord astrocytoma: can the Notch pathway be a novel treatment target?

This study was designed to investigate whether the Notch pathway is involved in the develop-ment of diffuse spinal cord astrocytomas. BALB/c nude mice received injections of CD133＋and CD133？ cell suspensions prepared using human recurrent diffuse spinal cord astrocytoma tissue through administration into the right parietal lobe. After 7–11 weeks, magnetic resonance imaging was performed weekly. Xenografts were observed on the surfaces of the brains of mice receiving the CD133＋ cell suspension, and Notch-immunopositive expression was observed in the xenografts. By contrast, no xenografts appeared in the identical position on the surfaces of the brains of mice receiving the CD133？ cell suspension, and Notch-immunopositive expres-sion was hardly detected either. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining revealed xenografts on the convex surfaces of the brains of mice that underwent CD133＋ astro-cytoma transplantation. Some sporadic astroglioma cells showed pseudopodium-like structures, which extended into the cerebral white matter. However,it should be emphasized that the sub-cortex xenograft with Notch-immunopositive expression was found in the fourth mouse received injection of CD133？ astrocytoma cells. However, these ifndings suggest that the Notch pathway plays an important role in the formation of astrocytomas, and can be considered a novel treat-ment target for diffuse spinal cord astrocytoma.