Burned spinal cord in acidotic cerebrospinal fluid during subarachnoid hemorrhage: Experimental study

We investigated the effect of carotid body ischemia-induced cerebrospinal fluid acidosis on spinal cord during subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Twenty-three hybrid rabbits were divided into three groups: control (n = 5), Sham (injected with 0.5 ml isotonic) (n = 6), and the SAH (n = 12) (injected with 0.5 ml autologous blood into the 4^th ventricle) and then monitored for 3 weeks. Cerebrospinal fluid pH and degenerated ependymal cell density and volume of cervical central canal were analyzed.

The mean cervical central canal volumes, degenerated ependymal cells densities, and cerebrospinal pH values were 1.056 ± 0.053 mm³-6 ± 2 per mm²-7.342 ± 0.034, 1.321 ± 0.12 mm³-35 ± 9 per mm²-7.314 ± 0.056, and 1.743 ± 0.245 mm³-159 ± 24 per mm²-7.257 ± 0.049 in the Control, Sham, and SAH groups, respectively. The more degenerated carotid body neuron density induced decreased cerebrospinal fluid pH values (p < 0.0001) could result in the more ependymal cells desquamation (p < 0.0005) and central canal dilatation (p < 0.00001).

Increased neurodegeneration of carotid bodies can reduce cause cerebrospinal fluid pH-induced ependymal cell degeneration and central canal dilatation following SAH.