Objective: To investigate the X-irradiation effect on the myelin sheath and axon of the spinal cord.
Methods: 60 Wistar adult rats receiving hemisection in the thoracic spinal cord were made into models of spinal injury. Among these rats, 30 in the test group received X-irradiation of 35-Gy the day after operation, while 30 in the control group only received hemisection. Operative spinal cord was subjected to immunohistochemistry and hyper-microscopic observation.
Results: In the test group, injury to the myelin sheath of the upper and lower lesion and the number of neuro-fibrotic positive axon increased. In the control group the number of myelin sheath below the injured section decreased. Under electronic microscope, demyelination was found in the spinal cord and new-born tiny neuro-fibrotic tracts were seen below the lesion.
Conclusions: X-irradiation can make spinal cord demyelinate and promote the increase of neuro-fibrotic positive axon.