title: Acute aggregation of serotonin-immunoreactive platelets in the injured spinal cord of rat and change of serotonin content in the neural fibers.
abstract: Serotonin (5-HT) immunoreactivity was investigated at the injury site of the rat spinal cord by light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry. The animals were perfused with fixative immediately, 1-5 min, 7-60 min, and 1-48 h after a 3-sec extradural compression of the thoracic cord with a Sugita aneurysm clip. Five minutes after injury, abundant hemostatic plugs containing platelets with high 5-HT immunoreactivity appeared at the traumatized cord segment, whereas 5-HT-containing varicose fibers became less immunoreactive. The 5-HT-immunoreactive platelets initially were localized to the periphery of the hemostatic plugs. By 30 min after injury, the platelets had decreased 5-HT, but neural fibers and terminals began to show increased 5-HT immunoreactivity, which increased and lasted as long as 48 h. These results indicate that platelets contributed to the initial 5-HT concentration increase at the injury site but that later 5-HT accumulation occurred in the neural elements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saruhashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hukuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin