Axonal plasticity underpins the functional recovery following surgical decompression in a rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy
Authors
Dhillon, Rana S
Parker, John
Syed, Yasir
Edgley, Steve
Young, Adam
Jeffery, Nick D
Publication Date
2016-08-23Journal Title
Acta Neuropathologica Communications
ISSN
2051-5960
Publisher
BioMed Central
Volume
4
Number
89
Language
English
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Dhillon, R. S., Parker, J., Syed, Y., Edgley, S., Young, A., Fawcett, J., Jeffery, N. D., et al. (2016). Axonal plasticity underpins the functional recovery following surgical decompression in a rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 4 (89)https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-016-0359-7
Abstract
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common spinal cord disorder and a major cause of disability in adults. Improvements following surgical decompression are limited and patients often remain severely disabled. Post mortem studies indicate that CSM is associated with profound axonal loss. However, our understanding of the pathophysiology of CSM remains limited.
To investigate the hypothesis that axonal plasticity plays a role in the recovery following surgical decompression, we adopted a novel preclinical model of mild to moderate CSM. Spinal cord compression resulted in significant locomotor deterioration, increased expression of the axonal injury marker APP, and loss of serotonergic fibres. Surgical decompression partially reversed the deficits and attenuated APP expression. Decompression was also associated with axonal sprouting, reflected in the restoration of serotonergic fibres and an increase of GAP43 expression. The re-expression of synaptophysin indicated the restoration of functional synapses following decompression. Promoting axonal plasticity may therefore be a therapeutic strategy for promoting neurological recovery in CSM.
Sponsorship
Qatar Foundation, National Institute for Health Research (Clinician Scientist Award Grant ID: CS-2015-15-023), Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Reg Worcester Research Fellowship), Neurosurgical Society of Australasia (Research Scholarship), Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council
Funder references
MRC (MC_PC_12009)
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (G1000864)
European Research Council (294502)
Embargo Lift Date
2100-01-01
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-016-0359-7
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/260364
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International, Attribution 4.0 International, Attribution 4.0 International
Recommended or similar items
The following licence files are associated with this item: