Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2017
Activation of KCNQ channels suppresses spontaneous activity in DRG neurons and reduces chronic pain after spinal cord injury.
A majority of people who have sustained spinal cord injury (SCI) experience chronic pain after injury, and this pain is highly resistant to available treatments. Contusive SCI in rats at T10 results in hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons, which contributes to chronic pain. KCNQ channels are widely expressed in nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, are important for controlling their excitability, and their activation has proven effective in reducing pain in peripheral nerve injury and inflammation models. ⋯ These results encourage the further exploration of U. S. Food and Drug Administration-approved KCNQ activators for treating SCI pain, as well as efforts to develop a new generation of KCNQ activators that lack central side effects.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2017
Evaluation of whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity in spinal cord injury - a large-scale network analysis using network based statistic.
Large-scale network analysis characterizes the brain as a complex network of nodes and edges to evaluate functional connectivity patterns. The utility of graph-based techniques has been demonstrated in an increasing number of resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) studies in the normal and diseased brain. However, to our knowledge, graph theory has not been used to study the reorganization pattern of resting-state brain networks in patients with traumatic complete spinal cord injury (SCI). ⋯ Upon further examination, increased connectivity was observed in a subnetwork of the sensorimotor cortex and cerebellum network in SCI. In conclusion, our findings emphasize the applicability of NBS to study functional connectivity architecture in diseased brain states. Further, we show reorganization of large-scale resting-state brain networks in traumatic SCI, with potential prognostic and therapeutic implications.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2017
3D quantification of microarchitecture and vessel regeneration by synchrotron radiation μCT in a rat model of spinal cord injury.
A full understanding of the mechanisms behind spinal cord injury (SCI) processes requires reliable three-dimensional (3D) imaging tools for a thorough analysis of changes in angiospatial architecture. We aimed to use synchrotron radiation μCT (SRμCT) to characterize 3D temporal-spatial changes in microvasculature post-SCI. Morphometrical measurements revealed a significant decrease in vascular volume fraction, vascular bifurcation density, vascular segment density, and vascular connectivity density 1 day post-injury, followed by a gradual increase at 3, 7, and 14 days. ⋯ We describe a methodology for 3D analysis of vascular repair in SCI and reveal that endogenous revascularization occurs during the healing process. The spinal cord microvasculature configuration undergoes 3D remodeling and modification during the post-injury repair process. Examination of these processes might contribute to a full understanding of the compensatory vascular mechanisms after injury and aid in the development of novel and effective treatment for SCI.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2017
Changes in gene expression and metabolism in the testes of the rat following spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in devastating changes to almost all aspects of a patient's life. In addition to a permanent loss of sensory and motor function, males also will frequently exhibit a profound loss of fertility through poorly understood mechanisms. We demonstrate that SCI causes measureable pathology in the testis both acutely (24 h) and chronically up to 1.5 years post-injury, leading to loss in sperm motility and viability. ⋯ At 1.5 years post-SCI, there is a chronic low level immune response as evidenced by an elevation in T cells. These data suggest that SCI elicits a wide range of pathological processes within the testes, the actions of which are not restricted to the acute phase of injury but rather extend chronically, potentially through the lifetime of the subject. The multiplicity of these pathological events suggest a single therapeutic intervention is unlikely to be successful.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Mar 2017
Increased Central Arterial Stiffness after Spinal Cord Injury: Contributing Factors, Implications and Possible Interventions.
Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience life-threatening cardiovascular events and various autonomic consequences in addition to the well-appreciated motor and neurological impairments. As a result, cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death after SCI, corresponding to a two-to-fourfold increased risk of cardiovascular events. A combination of neuroanatomical changes, unstable blood pressure, and rapid deconditioning as a result of decreased physical activity likely contributes to accelerated cardiovascular disease progression after SCI. ⋯ The potential factors contributing to increased central arterial stiffness are also reviewed in light of the available literature, including autonomic disruptions, blood pressure instability, metabolic changes, and physical inactivity. Further, measurement techniques, risk factors, cardiac dysfunction, and differences in arterial stiffness from able-bodied populations are discussed. Finally, potential therapeutic interventions for preventing or improving central arterial stiffening are also explored, including dietary, physical activity, and pharmacological strategies.