Histological evaluation of tissue hypoxia following an unilateral C5 contusion injury in female Long Evans rats

STUDY PURPOSE: Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to significant perturbations in blood flow in and around the injury epicenter. Over time, these impairments can lead to ischemia and cell death. The purpose of this study is to use intravital contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging to examine the evaluation of the unilateral cervical SCI using longitudinal imaging to quantify anatomical and hemodynamic changes in vivo through the entire spinal parenchyma. DATA COLLECTED: Spinal cord samples were collected at 4, 24 or 72 hours post injury (hpi) in three cohorts of animals, and we used a histological method that utilized HypoxyProbe to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of cells that are undergoing hypoxic cell death. In this data set, spatial distribution of the HypoxyProbe staining at 4, 24 and 72 hpi are included. We found that tissue hypoxia was elevated by 4 hpi, and that this remained true at 72 hpi. DATA USAGE NOTES: