Project description:The aneurysm clip impact-compression model of spinal cord injury (SCI) in animals mimics the primary mechanism of SCI in human, i.e. acute impact and persisting compression; and its histo-pathological and behavioural outcomes are extensively similar to the human SCI. In order to understand the distinct molecular events underlying this injury model, an analysis of global gene expression of the acute, subacute and chronic stages of a moderate to severe injury to the rat spinal cord was conducted using a microarray gene chip approach. Rat thoracic spinal cord (T7) was injured using aneurysm clip impact-compression injury model and the epicenter area of injured spinal cord was isolated for RNA extraction and processing and hybridization on Affymetrix GeneChip arrays.
Project description:Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) may induce irreversible damage leading to severe incapacity. Molecular mechanisms underlying SCI are not fully understood, preventing the development of novel therapeutic resources. Tamoxifen has demonstrated to be a promising therapy. Our aim was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the beneficial effect of TMX administered after SCI. We use a rat model of SCI, Tamoxifen was administred intraperitoneal 30 min after injury. Four groups were organized, 1) Non-injured without TMX (Sham/TMX-), 2) Non-injured with TMX (Sham/TMX+), 3) Injured without TMX (SCI/TMX-), and 4) Injured with TMX (SCI/TMX+). From the comparison between Sham/TMX- and SCI/TMX-, 708 genes showed differential expression. Among the relevant genes Anxa1 was upregulated, this gene’s product is a promising marker of injury severity. Enriched pathways were the spinal cord injury pathway and pathways related to inflammatory response. When comparing SCI/TMX- versus SCI/TMX+, only 30 genes showed differential expression. Our results reinforce the key role of inflammatory response in SCI and Tamoxifen seem to be able to regulate this response by suppressing changes in gene expression. Our data also support the potential of previously described severity markers.
Project description:Summary: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a damage to the spinal cord induced by trauma or disease resulting in a loss of mobility or feeling. SCI is characterized by a primary mechanical injury followed by a secondary injury in which several molecular events are altered in the spinal cord often resulting in loss of neuronal function. Analysis of the areas directly (spinal cord) and indirectly (raphe and sensorimotor cortex) affected by injury will help understanding mechanisms of SCI. Hypothesis: Areas of the brain primarily affected by spinal cord injury are the Raphe and the Sensorimotor cortex thus gene expression profiling these two areas might contribute understanding the mechanisms of spinal cord injury. Specific Aim: The project aims at finding significantly altered genes in the Raphe and Sensorimotor cortex following an induced moderate spinal cord injury in T9.
Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:To determine whether the expression levels of circular RNAs were altered and lay a foundation for future work, we used high-throughput microarray analysis to screen circular RNAs expression patterns in the spinal cord of adult rats after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), finally to evaluate the potential rat models as a platform for the development of novel therapeutic targets for spinal cord injury in future clinical studies. Overall six rats at 3 days post-SCI in two groups were used to perform the microarray.
Project description:Biomarkers to more accurately determine severity and prognosis following spinal cord injury (SCI) are needed to ensure that patients are assigned to the most suitable treatment and rehabilitation regimes. This study aimed to characterise the blood proteome following SCI in clinical rat injury models to identify novel candidate biomarkers and altered biological pathways.