Publicação
Characterizing systemic effects following spinal cord regeneration in adult zebrafish
| Resumo: | Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts the communication between brain and body, leading to severe and permanent consequences for motor and sensory functions in mammals. Following the initial damage, where blood flow is disrupted and spinal hemorrhage occurs, a secondary cascade of events leads to scar formation, preventing axonal growth and re-enervation of the original targets. Consequently, tissue innervation is lost and changes in the neuroendocrine reflexes are induced, leading to long-term complications, such as autonomic dysreflexia or immunodeficiency, which increase patients’ morbidity. Unlike mammals, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have an outstanding capacity to regenerate the spinal cord following an injury, regaining their swimming behavior after 4 to 8 weeks. However, not all neurons have the same regenerative capacity and the effects that these lost axonal tracks can cause in the zebrafish remain unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to study the effects that this incomplete reinnervation causes in the zebrafish, and whether these effects are dependent on the injury level. Here it is shown that rostral and caudal SCI are equally regenerated in zebrafish resulting in a recovery of their swimming capacity. In addition, we would argue that no major impairments in the immune response are observed in SCI regenerated zebrafish since they were able to regenerate organs (caudal fin and heart) that rely on the immune system to fully repair. Interestingly, male SCI regenerated zebrafish showed a lack of successful spawns and mating events. Although, no defects in anxious-like behavior and a normal gonad histology were observed. Taken together, our results suggest that the incomplete reinnervation might be the underlying cause of a subtle locomotor impairment which is essential, especially in males, for the control of the fine movements during mating. |
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| Autores principais: | Taborda, Patrícia Naique |
| Assunto: | Spinal cord injury Multi organ regeneration Mating movements Fertility Zebrafish Teses de mestrado - 2022 |
| Ano: | 2022 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts the communication between brain and body, leading to severe and permanent consequences for motor and sensory functions in mammals. Following the initial damage, where blood flow is disrupted and spinal hemorrhage occurs, a secondary cascade of events leads to scar formation, preventing axonal growth and re-enervation of the original targets. Consequently, tissue innervation is lost and changes in the neuroendocrine reflexes are induced, leading to long-term complications, such as autonomic dysreflexia or immunodeficiency, which increase patients’ morbidity. Unlike mammals, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have an outstanding capacity to regenerate the spinal cord following an injury, regaining their swimming behavior after 4 to 8 weeks. However, not all neurons have the same regenerative capacity and the effects that these lost axonal tracks can cause in the zebrafish remain unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to study the effects that this incomplete reinnervation causes in the zebrafish, and whether these effects are dependent on the injury level. Here it is shown that rostral and caudal SCI are equally regenerated in zebrafish resulting in a recovery of their swimming capacity. In addition, we would argue that no major impairments in the immune response are observed in SCI regenerated zebrafish since they were able to regenerate organs (caudal fin and heart) that rely on the immune system to fully repair. Interestingly, male SCI regenerated zebrafish showed a lack of successful spawns and mating events. Although, no defects in anxious-like behavior and a normal gonad histology were observed. Taken together, our results suggest that the incomplete reinnervation might be the underlying cause of a subtle locomotor impairment which is essential, especially in males, for the control of the fine movements during mating. |
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