Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2011, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (50): 9369-9372.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-8225.2011.50.015

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Ultrastructural changes of the corticospinal tract in rats after corticospinal tract semitransection

Liu Su1, Shen Guang-yu1, Lü Guang-ming2   

  1. 1Department of Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong  226001, Jiangsu Province, China
    2Department of Human Anatomy, Medical School of Nantong University, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu Province, Nantong  226001, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2011-06-09 Revised:2011-08-31 Online:2011-12-10 Published:2011-12-10
  • Contact: Lü Guang-ming, Doctor, Professor, Department of Human Anatomy, Medical School of Nantong University, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu Province, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China gmlu@ntu.edu.cn
  • About author:Liu Su★, Master, Lecturer, Department of Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China Jane16560.studnet@sina.com
  • Supported by:

    the Preponderant Discipline Construction Project of the Higher Education Institutions of Jiangsu Province*

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Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Researches on the overall ultrastructural changes of the body parts near and distant from the corticospinal tract lesion are rarely reported.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ultrastructural changes of corticospinal tract in rats after corticospinal tract semitransection.
METHODS: Rat left vertebral body of medulla was selectively cleavaged to construct corticospinal tract semitransection model. Electron microscopy was utilized to determine the degeneration of the corticospinal tract on the 4th, 14th and 28th days after corticospinal tract semitransection.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: According to transmission electron microscope observation, the myelin sheath and axons of lesioned corticospinal tract were swelling and irregular in shape. Subsequently, during the extended periods, the ultrastructural changes were myelinoclasis, dissolvation in myelin sheath, and demyelination, shrink of cytoplasm, vacuolar degeneration, increase of organelles in axons progressively. These changes of lesioned corticospinal tract at cervical, thoracic, lumbar segments of spinal cord were more serious than those closed to lesion site.

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