Nitric oxide: a possible etiologic factor in spinal cord cavitation.

Abstract

To determine whether nitric oxide (NO) is related to spinal cord cavitation, we treated mice that underwent spinal cord injury with NG-mono-methyl-L-arginine (N-MMA). Spinal cord specimens were subjected to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunostaining, which is selective for astrocytes. Spinal cord cavities and GFAP-positive glial cells appeared simultaneously at 3 days after spinal cord injury, and the cavities enlarged at 7 days. In mice receiving N-MMA, the cavities were significantly smaller than those in the mice that underwent spinal cord injury only. However, the numbers of GFAP-positive cells showed no difference between these two groups. These experimental findings suggest that cavitation of the spinal cord is caused mainly by NO released from activated glial cells.

• Authors: Y Matsuyama, K Sato, M Kamiya, J Yano, H Iwata, K Isobe
• Journal: Journal of spinal disorders (J Spinal Disord) Vol. 11 Issue 3 Pg. 248-52 (Jun 1998) ISSN: 0895-0385 [Print] United States
• PMID: 9657552 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
• Nitric Oxide

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Count
• Cysts (metabolism)
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (analysis)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Necrosis
• Neuroglia (chemistry, metabolism)
• Nitric Oxide (physiology)
• Spinal Cord Injuries (metabolism, pathology)