Blood Flow Increase by Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation in Middle Cerebral and Common Carotid Arteries

The effect of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) has, in the past, been evaluated by semiquantitative techniques, but has not been used to treat CBF diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of cervical SCS on regional blood flow by both semiquantitative and quantitative methods. Thirty‐five patients with cervical SCS‐implanted devices were enrolled. The following parameters were measured before and after cervical SCS: systolic and diastolic velocity (cm/s) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) by transcranial Doppler (TCD) and volume blood flow quantification (ml/min) in the common carotid artery (CCA) by color Doppler. During cervical SCS there was a significant and bilateral increase in systolic (21%) and diastolic (26%) velocity in the MCA and in CCA blood flow (50%). We conclude that cervical SCS increases blood flow in the middle cerebral artery and common carotid artery. The consistent increase supports the potential usefulness of cervical SCS as an adjuvant treatment for cerebral blood flow diseases.     

MRI对急性脊髓损伤的评价

目的 探讨MRI在评价急性脊髓损伤中的临床应用价值.方法 收集急性脊髓损伤患者50例,行同期X线片、CT和MRI检查,MRI检查应用1.5T超导型磁共振成像仪,采用自旋回波序列和快速自旋回波序列,常规矢状位及横轴位扫描,17例加扫冠状位.结果 脊髓水肿:MRI检出16例,CT检出4例;脊髓挫伤出血:MRI检出21例,CT检出11例;脊髓受压变形:MRI检出34例,CT检出15例;脊髓断裂:MRI检出10例,CT检出3例.X线片未检出上述脊髓损伤.结论 MRI对评估脊髓损伤明显优于X线片和CT扫描,是急性脊髓损伤的最佳检查与诊断方法.     

人发角蛋白对脊髓损伤大鼠少突胶质细胞增殖分化效应的影响

目的探讨体内可降解生物材料人发角蛋白(HHK)植入急性冲击性损伤脊髓后,对神经再生过程中少突胶质细胞增殖分化效应的影响。方法采用改制Ⅱ型NYU装置,在建立大鼠急性冲击性脊髓损伤模型基础上,将经过特殊处理后能在体内降解的HHK植入大鼠脊髓损伤部位,对植入后1、4、12、26周损伤脊髓组织进行光学和电镜结构观察。结果第1周时,损伤部位可见少突胶质细胞散在分布于大量浸润的炎症细胞中;第4周时,通过Mallory's磷乌酸苏木素染色,显示HHK周边呈层包绕的增生少突胶质细胞;第12和26周主要为神经再生和髓鞘重建过程,重建中的少突胶质细胞髓鞘内出现较大的空腔,髓鞘层状分离,并形成大小不一的髓鞘小体,重建髓鞘周边可见新生的少突胶质细胞。结论在急性冲击性脊髓损伤后神经再生过程中,HHK对少突胶质细胞的增殖分化及髓鞘再生修复有积极作用,为进一步综合研究HHK对脊髓损伤修复的作用提供了实验依据。     

脐血单个核细胞在半固体培养基中向神经元样细胞的分化

为观察脐血单个核细胞在甲基纤维素半固体培养基中的生长情况 ,常规方法分离脐血单个核细胞 ,接种于含 SCF、GM-CSF、G-CSF、IL-3、IL-6、EPO的甲基纤维素半固体培养基中培养。第 5 d发现有 6～ 10个细胞组成的小集簇 ,散在分布 ,细胞形态无变化。第 11d有神经元样细胞生长 ,与集簇并存。以后神经元样细胞逐渐生长 ,但集簇生长停滞 ,第 16d仍未发现集落形成。收集细胞 ,进行神经元特异烯醇化酶 (NSE)、神经丝蛋白 (NF)免疫细胞化学测定 ,显示少量神经元样细胞 NSE、NF阳性。该结果提示在半固体培养基中 ,脐血单个核细胞可向神经元样细胞分化 ,传统的用于集落培养的半固体培养基可能也适合脐血中其它细胞成分的生长     

后路肿瘤摘除固定融合一期手术治疗颈椎椎管内肿瘤

目的探讨经后路全椎板切除摘除椎管内肿瘤,同时行颈椎侧块或椎弓根内固定植骨融合治疗颈椎椎管内肿瘤的临床疗效. 方法采用该手术方法治疗颈椎椎管内肿瘤8例. 结果所有患者术后早期(3周以内)可下床活动,无一例出现眩晕、颈痛、头痛等颈椎不稳的表现.随访6个月～2年未见后凸畸形发生,颈椎活动不受限制,内固定物无松动断裂. 结论经后路全椎板切除同时行经颈椎侧块或椎弓根内固定植骨融合治疗颈椎管内肿瘤,能够维持手术后颈椎的稳定性,防止远期后凸畸形的发生.     

骨髓基质干细胞和神经生长因子悬液移植对脊髓损伤修复的影响

目的研究骨髓基质干细胞(BMSCs)移植联用神经生长因子(NGF)对脊髓损伤修复的治疗作用。方法用改良Allen法制成SD大鼠脊髓损伤动物模型(共32只),1周后分别将DMEM、BMSCs、NGF和BMSCs NGF移植入脊髓损伤部位即制成四组(每组8只),移植1、2个月后分别采用神经核蛋白(NeuN)抗体、胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)抗体和神经丝蛋白(NF)抗体进行免疫荧光染色观察移植的BMSCs的存活及分化情况、损伤部位神经纤维的再生情况。HE染色观察脊髓损伤处空洞面积的改变情况。同时采用BBB运动评分观察大鼠运动功能恢复情况。结果移植1、2个月后,部分移植细胞呈NeuN和GFAP阳性,同时实验组可见明显的神经纤维再生。脊髓损伤处的空洞面积明显减小,差异有显著性意义(P＜0．05),BBB评分结果比对照组均有明显增高,差异有显著性意义(P＜0．05)。在BMSCs NGF组上述改变更加显著。结论BMSCs可在脊髓损伤处分化为神经元和神经胶质细胞,BMSCs和NGF能够减小脊髓损伤处的空洞面积,促进受损轴突的再生和运动功能的恢复,两者联合应用在脊髓损伤修复治疗中具有协同作用。     

REPAIR AND RECOVERY FOLLOWING SPINAL CORD INJURY IN A NEONATAL MARSUPIAL (MONODELPHIS DOMESTICA)

1. Repair and recovery following spinal cord injury (complete spinal cord crush) has been studied in vitro in neonatal opossum (Monodelphis domestica), fetal rat and in vivo in neonatal opossum. 2. Crush injury of the cultured spinal cord of isolated entire central nervous system (CNS) of neonatal opossum (P4–10) or fetal rats (E15–E16) was followed by profuse growth of fibres and recovery of conduction of impulses through the crush. Previous studies of injured immature mammalian spinal cord have described fibre growth occurring only around the lesion, unless implanted with fetal CNS. 3. The period during which successful growth occurred in response to a crush is developmentally regulated. No such growth was obtained after P12 in spinal cords crushed in vitro at the level of C7–8. 4. In vivo, in the neonatal (P4–8) marsupial opossum, growth of fibres through, and restoration of, impulse conduction across the crush was apparent 1–2 weeks after injury. With longer periods of time after crushing a considerable degree of normal locomotor function developed. 5. By the time the operated animals reached adulthood, the morphological structure of the spinal cord, both in the region of the crush and on either side of the site of the lesion, appeared grossly normal. 6. The results are discussed in relation to the eventual longterm possibility of devising effective treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries.     

Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and immunoelectron microscopic studies of spinal cord neurofibrillary tangles in progressive supranuclear palsy

Immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and immunoelectron microscopic studies of spinal cord neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) were performed. The spinal cord NFTs reacted with antibodies to tau protein (tau-2), ubiquitin and Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles (ANTs, Ab 39). Ultrastructurally, the NFTs consisted of bundles of straight fibrils. In longitudinal sections, the individual NFT fibrils appeared as straight fibrils with a diameter of approximately 15 nm. In cross sections, circular structures approximately 15 nm in diameter were seen, and some had a central density. Electron microscopic examination of specimens stained with the antibodies and by the modified Bielschowsky method revealed the products of the tau, ubiquitin and ANTs immunoreactions and silver deposits on the NFT fibrils. This is the first demonstration of the ultrastructure of spinal cord NFTs in PSP.     

Development of commissural neurons in the embryonic rat spinal cord.

Little is known about the development of the various populations of interneurons in the mammalian spinal cord. We have utilized the lipid-soluble tracer DiI in fixed tissue to study the migration and dendritic arborization of spinal neurons with axons in the ventral commissure in embryonic rats. Crystals of DiI were placed in various locations in the thoracic spinal cord in order to label commissural neurons within the dorsal horn, intermediate zone, and ventral horn at E13.5, E15, E17, and E19. Seven different groups of commissural interneurons are present in the spinal cord by E13.5. Migration is relatively simple with groups occupying a position along the dorsoventral axis roughly corresponding to their position of origin along the neuroepithelium. By E15, commissural cells are near their final locations and exhibit characteristic morphology. One striking feature is the tendency of cells with similar morphology to cluster in distinct groups. By E19, at least 18 different types of commissural interneurons can be identified on morphological grounds. Although the situation is complex, some generalities about dendritic morphology are apparent. Commissural neurons located in the dorsal horn are small and have highly branched dendrites oriented along the dorsoventral axis. In more ventral regions, commissural neurons are larger and possess dendritic arbors oriented obliquely or parallel to the mediolateral axis with long dendrites extending toward the lateral and ventral funiculi. The number of primary dendrites of most groups is set by E15 and dendritic growth occurs in the transverse plane by lengthening and branching of these primary processes. This study demonstrates that a large number of classes of commissural interneurons can be recognized on the basis of characteristic morphologies and locations within the dorsal horn, intermediate zone and ventral horn of the embryonic rat spinal cord. This finding is consistent with the fact that commissural neurons project to many different targets and mediate a variety of different functions. The demonstration that dendritic arbors of spinal interneurons with characteristic morphologies can be conveniently labelled with DiI should prove useful in future studies on the development of specific circuits in the mammalian spinal cord.     

Illness-induced hyperalgesia is mediated by spinal neuropeptides and excitatory amino acids

The spinal cord dorsal horn contains neural mechanisms which can greatly facilitate pain. We have recently shown that ‘illness’-inducing agents, such as intraperitoneally administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS; bacterial endotoxin), can produce prolonged hyperalgesia. This hyperalgesic state is mediated at the level of the spinal cord via activation of the NMDA-nitric oxide cascade. However, prolonged neuronal depolarization is required before such a cascade can occur. The present series of experiments were aimed at identifying spinal neurotransmitters which might be responsible for creating such a depolarized state. These studies show that LPS hyperalgesia is mediated at the level of the spinal cord by substance P, cholecystokinin and excitatory amino acids acting at non-NMDA sites. No apparent role for serotonin or kappa opiate receptors was found.