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Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology
Published on: March 23, 2011
Myelin pathogenesis and functional deficits following SCI are age-associated
Monica M Siegenthaler1, Denise L Ammon, Hans S Keirstead
1Reeve-Irvine Research Center, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4292, USA.
Experimental Neurology
|July 23, 2008
Summary
Older rats show slower recovery and more severe spinal cord injury pathology. This suggests age negatively impacts healing and remyelination after spinal cord injury (SCI).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Regenerative Medicine
- Gerontology
Background:
- Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are increasingly affecting older individuals.
- Age is linked to delayed remyelination and potentially reduced regenerative capacity after SCI.
- Existing research suggests age-related differences in spinal cord repair efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in locomotor and bladder recovery post-SCI.
- To analyze myelin pathology and remyelination rates in young, aged, and geriatric rats.
- To establish the impact of aging on functional and histological outcomes following contusion SCI.
Main Methods:
- Contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) was induced in female rats of three age groups: young (3 months), aged (12 months), and geriatric (24 months).
- Locomotor and bladder function recovery were assessed over time.
- Myelin pathology, including demyelination and remyelination, was quantified histologically.
Main Results:
- Aged and geriatric rats exhibited significantly delayed locomotor recovery compared to young rats.
- Bladder function recovery was markedly slower in aged and geriatric rats.
- Older rats showed greater demyelination, less remyelination, and increased overall pathology area post-SCI.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant age-associated decline in both functional recovery (locomotor and bladder) after SCI.
- Aging adversely affects the degree of pathology, demyelination, and remyelination following spinal cord injury.
- These findings highlight the critical role of age in SCI outcomes and regenerative potential.
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