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Model of Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Rabbits
Published on: November 3, 2023
New method for absolute spinal cord ischemia protection in rabbits
Bagus Herlambang1, Kazumasa Orihashi, Taketomo Mizukami
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Division of Clinical Medical Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. bagus@vfemail.net
Journal of Vascular Surgery
|September 6, 2011
Summary
Combining topical hypothermia and edaravone effectively protects spinal cord function during aortic surgery. This superior procedure significantly reduces spinal cord damage and improves motor neuron survival in animal models.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Ischemia Research
Background:
- Severe spinal cord ischemia during aortic surgery poses a significant risk of neurological damage.
- Current protective strategies often have limited efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel procedure combining topical spinal cord hypothermia and radical scavenger (edaravone) infusion to prevent spinal cord damage.
- To assess the synergistic protective effects of these interventions in an animal model.
Main Methods:
- Spinal cord ischemia was induced in rabbits via aortic clamping.
- Rabbits were divided into four groups: sham-operated, edaravone alone, topical cooling alone, and combined edaravone and cooling.
- Postoperative assessments included neurological function (Tarlov score), spinal cord histopathology, and oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde).
Main Results:
- The combined therapy group showed significantly higher Tarlov scores and a greater number of normal motor neurons compared to individual treatments.
- Malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of oxidative stress, were significantly lower in the combined therapy group.
- These protective effects were sustained at both 48 and 168 hours post-reperfusion.
Conclusions:
- The combination of topical spinal cord hypothermia and edaravone infusion offers superior protection against spinal cord damage during aortic clamping.
- This synergistic approach effectively mitigates neurological deficits and cellular damage.
- The findings suggest a promising clinical strategy for preventing paraplegia in patients undergoing aortic surgery.
