Experimental spinal cord injury and behavioral tests in laboratory rats

Abstract

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in some serious neurophysiological consequences that alter healthy body functions and devastate the quality of living of individuals. To find a cure for SCI, researchers around the world are working on different neurorepair and neurorehabilitation modalities. To test a new treatment for SCI as well as to understand the mechanism of recovery, animal models are being widely used. Among them, SCI rat models are arguably the most prominent. Furthermore, it is important to select a suitable behavioral test to evaluate both the motor and sensory recovery following any therapeutic intervention. In this paper, we review the rat models of spinal injury and commonly used behavioral tests to serve as a useful guideline for neuroscientists in the field of SCI research.

Neuroprotective potential of fisetin in an experimental model of spinal cord injury: via modulation of NF-κB/IκBα pathway

“…Spinal cord injury is neurological deficits with debilitating pathology that induce a significant burden on a family of patients with SCI. Evidence-based on experimental studies suggests that SCI characterized by the presence of biphasic event which initiated with primary injury through a series of cascade events followed by secondary damage to the neuronal tissue [ 5 , 8 ]. In the lack of effective pharmacotherapy for the management of SCI, the administration of methylprednisolone provide symptomatic relief from neuropathic pain to some extent [ 40 ]; however, its high dose causes severe adverse events.…”

“…Animal models play a vital role in understanding the underlying mechanism and development of effective therapeutic moieties for various maladies, including SCI [ 7 ]. Thus various animal models have been developed to determine mechanisms of motor dysfunctions, which include compression, contusion, transection and excitotoxicity models [ 8 ]. However, compression-induced SCI is well-accepted, frequently used worldwide and arguably the most prominent experimental animal model for understanding the mechanism of motor and sensory recovery by therapeutic moiety during SCI [ 8 , 9 ].…”

“…Thus various animal models have been developed to determine mechanisms of motor dysfunctions, which include compression, contusion, transection and excitotoxicity models [ 8 ]. However, compression-induced SCI is well-accepted, frequently used worldwide and arguably the most prominent experimental animal model for understanding the mechanism of motor and sensory recovery by therapeutic moiety during SCI [ 8 , 9 ]. To mimic clinicopathological characteristics of SCI, the compression model implemented various technique which includes clip compression, calibrated forceps compression and balloon compression; however, clip compression at the thoracic level the more closely related in terms of functional and histological features of human SCI amongst all [ 8 , 9 ].…”

“…However, compression-induced SCI is well-accepted, frequently used worldwide and arguably the most prominent experimental animal model for understanding the mechanism of motor and sensory recovery by therapeutic moiety during SCI [ 8 , 9 ]. To mimic clinicopathological characteristics of SCI, the compression model implemented various technique which includes clip compression, calibrated forceps compression and balloon compression; however, clip compression at the thoracic level the more closely related in terms of functional and histological features of human SCI amongst all [ 8 , 9 ]. Clip compression is a simple, well-established, reproducible and inexpensive method for the induction of SCI [ 9 ].…”

Functional rewiring across spinal injuries via biomimetic nanofiber scaffolds

“…CNF promoted a significant recovery in locomotor and sensory-motor behavior ( 48 ) also in subchronic and chronic ( 49 ) SCI animals. While previous work ( 3 ) showed long-term functional recovery sustained by delivery of promoters of propriospinal axons regrowth, the current study indicates that CNF scaffold physical features help to improve locomotor activity in subchronic and chronic post-SCI phases likely via increased axon regeneration.…”