Early adaptive changes in chronic paraplegic mice: a model to study rapid health degradation after spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Literature review.


OBJECTIVE
To describe quantitatively some of most important anatomic, systemic, and metabolic changes occurring soon (one month) after spinal cord trauma in mice.


METHODS
University Laval Medical Center.


RESULTS
Significant changes in weight, mechanical and contractile muscle properties, bone histomorphometry and biomechanics, deep-vein morphology, complete blood count, immune cell count, lipid metabolism and anabolic hormone levels were found occurring within 1 month in completely spinal cord transected (Th9/10) mice.


CONCLUSIONS
These data reveal that many changes in mice and humans are comparable suggesting, in turn, that this model may be a valuable tool for neuroscientists to investigate the specific mechanisms associated with rapid health degradation post-SCI.
Ung
R-V
RV
Neuroscience Unit, CHUL Research Center, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Lapointe
N P
NP
Guertin
P A
PA
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*