Author: neuraxis_editor

Systemic hypothermia following compression injury of rat spinal cord: reduction of plasma protein extravasation demonstrated by immunohistochemistry
Wen Ru Yu, Hans Westergren, Mohammad Farooque, Anders Holtz, Yngve Olsson
Acta Neuropathol, 1999

Fifteen rats were assigned to one of three groups and received either thoracic (T) laminectomy or severe spinal cord compression trauma. One group comprised laminectomized animals without compression trauma submitted to a hypothermic procedure. The two trauma groups were either submitted to the same hypothermic procedure or kept normothermic during the corresponding time.By measuring the cross-sectional area of the peri-injury zones we found in the hypothermic trauma group a significant reduction of the expansion compared with that present in normothermic injured rats. This indicates that hypothermia reduces the extravasation of the plasma proteins albumin, fibrinogen and fibronectin following spinal cord compression in the rat.

Motor Function Changes in the Rat Following Severe Spinal Cord Injury
H. Westergren, M. Farooque, Y. Olsson, and A. Holtz
Acta Neurochir, 2000

Thirty Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into three groups. On underwent a hypothermic procedure, including a 2 hour hypothermic period following the initial laminectomy. The second group a 50g compression was applied to spinal cords for five minutes and kept under normothermic conditions afterwards. In group three the animals underwent the same trauma procedure as group two and the same hypothermic procedures as group one. All animals in group one survived. The mortality rates in group 2 were 25% and in group 3, 50%, which mirrors the severity of the trauma.

Neuroprotective Effect of Moderate Epidural Hypothermia After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Kee-Yong Ha, and Young-Hoon Kim
Spine, 2008

Spinal cord injury was induced in 16 rats with eight to receive moderate epidural hypothermia and the other eight normothermia. Hypothermia significantly reduced the apoptosis of neurons and glial cells when compared to the normothermic group. Moderate hypothermia also greatly improved functional recovery. 

The Role of Directly Applied Hypothermia in Spinal Cord Injury
John R. Dimar, Christopher B. Shields, Yi P. Zhang, Darlene A. Burke, George H. Raque, and Steven D. Glassman
Spine, 2000

Male rats were subjected to laminectomy and dived into three groups; placement of a 50% spacer in the epidural space (16 rats), severe spinal cord injury (16 rats), 50% spacer in combination with spinal cord injury (16 rats). Eight rats in each group were tested at normothermic and hypothermic temperatures. There was a significant improvement in motor scores in rats subjected to hypothermia compared with those that were normothermic after insertion of a 50% spacer.  This indicates that directly applied hypothermia may be beneficial in preventing injury secondary to ischemic cellular damage.

Effects of Core Body Temperature on Changes in Spinal Somatosensory-Evoked Potential in Acute Spinal Cord Compression Injury
I-Ming Jou
Spine, 2000

Spinal cord injury was induced in rats by clip compression for two different intervals and at three different core temperatures. Spinal somatosensory-evoked potential was monitored immediately before and after compression, and at 15-minute intervals for 1 hour. Moderately hypothermic groups showed a significantly higher false-negative rate statistically (35%) than normothermic groups (10%). Systemic cooling may protect against the detrimental effects of aggressive spinal surgical procedures. 

Effect of Graded Hypothermia (27° to 34°C) on Behavioral Function, Histopathology, and Spinal Blood Flow After Spinal Ischemia in Rat
Martin Marsala, Ivo Vanicky, Tony L. Yaksh
Graded Spinal Hypothermia, 1994

Spinal cord temperatures in anesthetized rats were assessed by lowering temperatures in the paraspinal muscles to 34º, 31º, or 27º C. After ischemia, spinal cord temperature was raised to 37 degrees C for the next 30 minutes. Motor and sensory function were assessed after animals were maintained in this normothermic condition for 8 hours. In normothermic animals, 20 minutes of ischemia resulted in a loss of CO2 reactivity and hind limb paraplegia. Even mild hypothermia resulted in significant improvement of neurological function compared with the normothermic group. In moderate and deep hypothermic animal’s preservation of CO2 responsivity and complete recovery of neurological function were seen with no detectable histopathologic changes. These results show that a small decrease in temperature in the peri-ischemic period provides significant protection.