Plasma Cytokines Level and Spinal Cord MRI Predict Clinical Outcome in a Rat Glial Scar Cryoinjury Model

Biomedicines, 2022 · DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102345 · Published: September 21, 2022

Spinal Cord Injury Genetics Medical Imaging

Simple Explanation

This study investigates spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats, focusing on how glial scars and cyst formation hinder recovery. The researchers used a cryoinjury model to mimic SCI and assessed the impact using MRI and by measuring cytokine levels in the blood. The study found that specific cytokines in the blood, along with MRI results, can predict the clinical outcome of SCI. A 10-grade scoring scale based on MRI data was used to objectively assess the severity of the spinal cord injury. The findings suggest that monitoring cytokine levels and using MRI could help evaluate the effectiveness of SCI treatments. This could potentially be translated into clinical practice for human SCI patients.

Study Duration

60 days

Participants

Male SD rats (SPF category) with an average weight (±SD) of 398.9 (±10.4) g

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Plasma levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, TNFα, GRO/KC, G-CSF, IFNγ and IL-13 may be considered as a reliable prognostic index for SCI.
2
MRI provides a reliable visual control of the dynamics of posttraumatic processes, showing the extent of early damage, glial scar formation, and development of posttraumatic syringomyelic cysts.
3
A 10-grade scoring scale based on MRI results can objectively estimate the severity of SCI in rats.

Research Summary

This study used a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI) induced by cryoinjury to evaluate histological, bioimaging, and cytokine data. The goal was to find noninvasive methods for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of SCI treatments. A 10-grade scoring scale was developed to estimate the extent of damage based on MRI results. The study found that the concentration of cytokines and chemokines in the plasma increased significantly after SCI, suggesting a cytokine storm. The study concluded that MRI together with plasma cytokines level directly correlated and reliably predicted the clinical outcome following SCI. This offers novel methods for evaluating SCI treatment efficacy that may be translated into clinical practice.

Practical Implications

Prognostic Markers

Levels of specific cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, TNFα, GRO/KC, G-CSF, IFNγ, IL-13) in plasma can serve as prognostic markers for SCI outcomes.

Non-invasive Monitoring

MRI can be used to monitor the dynamics of posttraumatic processes, including early damage, glial scar formation, and cyst development, providing a non-invasive assessment tool.

Therapeutic Evaluation

The combination of MRI and cytokine level determination can be used to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic protocols for SCI treatment, potentially leading to better clinical strategies.

Study Limitations

1
Study conducted on rats, findings may not be directly applicable to humans.
2
Focused on early acute stage of spinal cord injury (12 hours post-injury), long-term effects not fully explored.
3
Utilized standard T1- and T2-weighted MRI imaging protocols, may not capture all relevant details compared to more advanced techniques.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury