Acute spinal cord injury could cause activation of autophagy in dorsal root ganglia

Objectives: Dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) have an important role in the peripheral mechanism of sensation by primary afferent neurons, which are widely used to research the processes of cell death, axonal regeneration, signal transmission of growth factors and the mechanism of pain. Methods: In the present study, we investigated the activation of autophagy in DRGs in a rat model of acute spinal cord injury at different time points. Results: Expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, a marker of autophagy was increased after 8 h in DRGs, peaked after 3 days, and then gradually decreased after 7 days. Furthermore, the toluidine blue staining has proven that after acute spinal cord injury, the myelin sheathes of DRGs undergo histopathological changes over time, with axonal swellings, disorderly arrangement and uneven distribution. Conclusion: Potential treatment aimed at recovery of behavioral locomotor and sensory perception should target the process of autophagy in DRGs.