Histological measurement of interstitial fluid flow and relationship to lesion volume after C4 hemicontusion in male and female rats

STUDY PURPOSE: To measure the effects of spinal cord injury on interstitial pressure and fluid flow and examine the potential role of interstitial fluid flow on lesion volume enlargement. DATA COLLECTED: We collected interstitial pressure measurements at 1 hr, 3 days, and 7 days after contusion SCI in Sprague Dawley rats. We also used histological assessments to determine the distance of Evans Blue dye extravasation at days 3 and 7 after injury (proxy for interstitial fluid flow distance). Finally, we exogenously enhanced interstitial fluid flow using convection enhanced delivery at 7 days after injury and measured the resulting lesion volume compared to untreated controls. DATA USAGE NOTES: