The effects of hemisection of spinal cord injury on expression of Aggrecan in rats spinal cord

Objective Changes of Aggrecan of expression in rats spinal cord following hemisection of spinal cord injury have been studied to provide the experimental evidence for the mechanisms of regeneration and repair after spinal cord injury.Methods 20 adult healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham-operated control group and 3days,7days,14days spinal cord injury groups at random.The spinal cords were hemisected between T9 and T10.The T9～10 spinal cord was isolated and sectioned.Aggrecan was observed by immunohistochemical staining.And the immuno-positive gray scale of immunoreactant was detected with computer image analysis technique.Results Aggrecan positive products were mainly distributed in neurons and neuroglial cells in spinal cord and ECM for the control group.The immuno-positive expression for Aggrecan in three spinal cord injury groups was all increased as compared with cortrol group.Conclusion The expression of Aggrecan increases after HSCI,it may mutually play inhibitory effect on axon regeneration.