Histopathological Insights into Demyelination and Remyelination After Spinal Cord Injury in Non-human Primates
Junhao Liu1,2 · Zucheng Huang1 · Kinon Chen4 · Rong Li1 · Zhiping Huang1 · Junyu Lin1 · Hui Jiang1 · Jie Liu3 · Qingan Zhu11 Department of Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
2 Division of Spinal Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510000, China
3 Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics, The Third Afliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China
4 Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China
Abstract
Demyelination and remyelination play key roles in spinal cord injury (SCI), affecting the recovery of motor and sensory functions. Research in rodent models is extensive, but the study of these processes in non-human primates is limited. Therefore, our goal was to thoroughly study the histological features of demyelination and remyelination after contusion injury of the cervical spinal cord in Macaca fascicularis. In a previous study, we created an SCI model in M. fascicularis by controlling the contusion displacement. We used Eriochrome Cyanine staining, immunohistochemical analysis, and toluidine blue staining to evaluate demyelination and remyelination. The results showed demyelination ipsilateral to the injury epicenter both rostrally and caudally, the former mainly impacting sensory pathways, while the latter primarily affected motor pathways. Toluidine blue staining showed myelin loss and axonal distension at the injury site. Schwann cell-derived myelin sheaths were only found at the center, while thinner myelin sheaths from oligodendrocytes were seen at the center and surrounding areas. Our study showed that long-lasting demyelination occurs in the spinal cord of M. fascicularis after SCI, with oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells playing a significant role in myelin sheath formation at the injury site.
Keywords
Demyelination; Remyelination; Spinal cord injury; Histological analysis; Non-human primate
