The Temporal and Spatial Distribution Patterns of Necrotic and Apoptotic Cells in and Around the Spinal Cord Injury Site.

Background

Acute spinal cord trauma management necessitates understanding the primary and secondary injury mechanisms at different timepoints.

Objectives

To characterize the cell death process by examining the temporal and spatial distributions of necrosis and apoptosis in an experimental spinal cord injury model.

Methods

Wistar male rats were divided into trauma (n = 30) and sham (n = 6) groups, and a 50 g/cm weight drop contusion design was used. The rats were sacrificed 1, 6, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h after the injury. Every 0.5 cm spinal cord segment was examined cranially and caudally up to a total of 2.5 cm for neuronal and glial damage via the apoptotic count and DNA damage index via morphology and immunohistochemistry using an anti-ssDNA antibody. The results were mapped to visualize the damage extent, intensity, and distribution.

Results

The central zone underwent hemorrhage and necrosis one hour after the injury. The apoptotic cells and DNA damage index increased with time (p < 0.001), and specific spatial alterations were observed among the segments (p < 0.001). Mapping the apoptotic cells and DNA damage clearly reflected the injury's severity and extent.

Conclusion

The DNA damage and the apoptotic cell count increase over time were well correlated with the morphology and could easily be elucidated using ssDNA immunostaining.