The Long-Term Effects of Mild to Moderate Hypothermia on Gray and White Matter Injury After Spinal Cord Ischemia in Rats
Toshinori Horiuchi, Masahiko Kawaguchi, Naoko Kurita, Satoki Inoue, Mitsutoshi Nakamura, Noboru Konishi, Hitoshi Furuya
ANESTHESIA & ANALGESIA, 2009
Ninety-five rats were divided into hypothermic and normothermic groups after spinal cord injury. After assessing the hindlimb motor function, gray and white matter injury was assessed using the number of normal neurons and the extent of vacuolation, respectively.Hindlimb motor function and the number of normal neurons at 2 and 28 days was significantly better in hypothermic groups than in the normothermic group. The percentage areas of vacuolation at 2 and 28 days were significantly lower in hypothermic groups than in the normothermic group. The neuroprotective effects of intraischemic mild to moderate hypothermia on gray and white matter injury are mostly sustained for a long-term period of 28 days after spinal cord injury.