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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
A Neonatal Mouse Spinal Cord Compression Injury Model
Published on: March 27, 2016
Changes in synapses and axons demonstrated by synaptophysin immunohistochemistry following spinal cord compression
Gui-Lin Li1, Mohammad Farooque, Jonas Isaksson
1Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing 100050, China. liguilin40@hotmail.com
Objective And Methods:
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.
Conclusion:
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.
