title: Changes in synapses and axons demonstrated by synaptophysin immunohistochemistry following spinal cord compression trauma in the rat and mouse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate synaptic changes using synaptophysin immunohistochemstry in rat and mouse, which spinal cords were subjected to graded compression trauma at the level of Th8-9.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal animals showed numerous fine dots of synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the gray matter. An increase in synaptophysin immunoreactivity was observed in the neuropil and synapses at the surface of motor neurons of the anterior horns in the Th8-9 segments lost immunoreactivity at 4-hour point after trauma. The immunoreactive synapses reappeared around motor neurons at 9-day point. Unexpected accumulation of synaptophysin immunoreactivity occurred in injured axons of the white matter of the compressed spinal cord.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Synaptic changes were important components of secondary injuries in spinal cord trauma. Loss of synapses on motor neurons may be one of the factors causing motor dysfunction of hind limbs and formation of new synapses may play an important role in recovery of motor function. Synaptophysin immunohistochemistry is also a good tool for studies of axonal swellings in spinal cord injuries.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing 100050, China. liguilin40@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Gui-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farooque
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isaksson
authors.forename: Yngve
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Olsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016708:Synaptophysin