Transient increased permeability of the blood spinal cord brain barrier after spinal cord injury in mice visualized using Gadolinium-enhanced MRI

Introduction: The blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) preserves a highly regulated environment surrounding the spinal cord and prevents most intravascular substances from crossing and moving into this compartment. Recent experiments have shown that increased permeability of the BSCB occurs after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats (1). This is of great importance for drug delivery in animal models of SCI since the time frame of increased permeability of the BSCB determines the therapeutic window. Experimental SCI therapy is increasingly evaluated in mice. So far, in vivo data on the response of mouse BSCB after SCI is…