Title Biochemical monitoring of spinal cord injury by FT-IR spectroscopy - effects of therapeutic alginate implant in rat models /
Authors Tamošaitytė, Sandra ; Galli, Roberta ; Uckermann, Ortrud ; Sitoci-Ficici, Kerim H ; Later, Robert ; Beiermeister, Rudolf ; Doberenz, Falko ; Gelinsky, Michael ; Leipnitz, Elke ; Schackert, Gabriele ; Koch, Edmund ; Šablinskas, Valdas ; Steiner, Gerald ; Kirsch, Matthias
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0142660
Full Text Download
Is Part of PLoS ONE.. San Francisko : Public Library of Science. 2015, Vol. 10, No. 11, Art. No. e0142660.. ISSN 1932-6203
Keywords [eng] Infrared spectroscopy ; spinal cord regeneration ; imaging
Abstract [eng] Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces complex biochemical changes, which result in inhibition of nervous tissue regeneration abilities. In this study, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was applied to assess the outcomes of implants made of a novel type of nonfunctionalized soft calcium alginate hydrogel in a rat model of spinal cord hemisection (n = 28). Using FT-IR spectroscopic imaging, we evaluated the stability of the implants and the effects on morphology and biochemistry of the injured tissue one and six months after injury. A semi-quantitative evaluation of the distribution of lipids and collagen showed that alginate significantly reduced injury-induced demyelination of the contralateral white matter and fibrotic scarring in the chronic state after SCI. The spectral information enabled to detect and localize the alginate hydrogel at the lesion site and proved its long-term persistence in vivo. These findings demonstrate a positive impact of alginate hydrogel on recovery after SCI and prove FT-IR spectroscopic imaging as alternative method to evaluate and optimize future SCI repair strategies.
Published San Francisko : Public Library of Science
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2015