中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2023, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (5): 1084-1089.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.355763

• 原著:脊髓损伤修复保护与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

严重胸段脊髓损伤大鼠的后肢运动功能恢复:CatWalk XT®步态分析

  

  • 出版日期:2023-05-15 发布日期:2022-11-01

Guoli Zheng1, Hao Zhang1, Mohamed Tail1, Hao Wang1, Johannes Walter1, Thomas Skutella2, Andreas Unterberg1, #br# Klaus Zweckberger1, Alexander Younsi1, *#br#   

  1. 1Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;  2Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Online:2023-05-15 Published:2022-11-01
  • Contact: Alexander Younsi, MD, alexander.younsi@med.uni-heidelberg.de.

摘要: 行为评估在脊髓损伤临床前研究的设计起着重要作用。CatWalk XT®步态分析系统是一个较新的啮齿动物行为评估平台,可以对功能恢复进行客观的分析。实验应用CatWalk XT®步态分析评估了胸段脊髓挫伤模型大鼠的后肢功能恢复情况。使用Basso、Beattie和Bresnahan(BBB) 旷场实验评分和CatWalk XT®步态分析评估运动功能恢复情况。为了确定体质量变化的潜在偏差,计算了校正的后肢(H)值(除以未受影响的前肢(F)值)。SCI后6周,以免疫组化(IHC)染色评估了囊肿的形成、星形胶质增生和硫酸软骨素糖胺聚糖的沉积(CS-GAG沉积)。与基线相比,从SCI后4周开始,CatWalk XT®的最大强度、平均强度、最大强度的百分比和最大接触平均强度出现明显的自发恢复。值得注意的是,CatWalk XT®参数的校正值(H/F)对体质量变化的易感性明显低于绝对值,特别是在静态参数方面。校正后的CatWalk XT®参数与BBB评分、囊肿形成、星形胶质细胞的免疫密度和CS-GAG沉积呈正相关。因此,CatWalk XT®步态分析,特别是其静态参数,似乎在评估严重胸段脊髓损伤后后肢功能的自发恢复方面具有很强的实用性。由于后肢的许多CatWalk XT®参数似乎受到体质量变化的影响,使用其校正值可能会得到更为客观的评估结果。

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8218-9243 (Alexander Younsi)

Abstract: Assessment of locomotion recovery in preclinical studies of experimental spinal cord injury remains challenging. We studied the CatWalk XT® gait analysis for evaluating hindlimb functional recovery in a widely used and clinically relevant thoracic contusion/compression spinal cord injury model in rats. Rats were randomly assigned to either a T9 spinal cord injury or sham laminectomy. Locomotion recovery was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan open field rating scale and the CatWalk XT® gait analysis. To determine the potential bias from weight changes, corrected hindlimb (H) values (divided by the unaffected forelimb (F) values) were calculated. Six weeks after injury, cyst formation, astrogliosis, and the deposition of chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans were assessed by immunohistochemistry staining. Compared with the baseline, a significant spontaneous recovery could be observed in the CatWalk XT® parameters max intensity, mean intensity, max intensity at%, and max contact mean intensity from 4 weeks after injury onwards. Of note, corrected values (H/F) of CatWalk XT® parameters showed a significantly less vulnerability to the weight changes than absolute values, specifically in static parameters. The corrected CatWalk XT® parameters were positively correlated with the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan rating scale scores, cyst formation, the immunointensity of astrogliosis and chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan deposition. The CatWalk XT® gait analysis and especially its static parameters, therefore, seem to be highly useful in assessing spontaneous recovery of hindlimb function after severe thoracic spinal cord injury. Because many CatWalk XT® parameters of the hindlimbs seem to be affected by body weight changes, using their corrected values might be a valuable option to improve this dependency.

Key words: Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan rating scale, behavioral assessment, CatWalk XT? gait analysis, contusive and compressive injury, hindlimb motor function, histological changes, spinal cord injury, spontaneous recovery, thoracic, weight