Morphometry of cervical spinal cord in cat using design-based stereology

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Anatomy
• Neuroscience
• Stereology

Background:

• The cervical spinal cord is vital for motor functions and sensory pathways.
• Pathologic alterations in the cervical spinal cord are common in both human and veterinary medicine.
• Understanding the normal morphometry of the feline cervical spinal cord is essential for comparative studies and clinical diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the detailed morphometric features of the cat cervical spinal cord.
• To provide quantitative data on volume, grey/white matter distribution, and cellular components.
• To establish a foundation for the cat as a translational model in spinal cord research.

Main Methods:

• Design-unbiased stereological methods, including the Cavalieri estimator and optical disector/fractionator.
• Systematic uniform random sampling of cervical spinal cord tissues from four male cats.
• Histological processing with cresyl violet staining for stereological estimations.

Main Results:

• Total cervical spinal cord volume: 2,321.21 ± 285.5 mm³.
• Grey matter (23.8%) and white matter (76.1%) proportions.
• Total neuron count: 3,405,366.2 ± 267,469.4, with distinct motoneuron and interneuron populations and volumes.

Conclusions:

• The study provides comprehensive morphometric data for the feline cervical spinal cord.
• These quantitative findings are foundational for using cats as a translational model in spinal cord research.
• This data aids in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal cord disorders.