Analysis of reactive astrocytes and NG2 proteoglycan in ex vivo rat models of spinal cord injury

摘要

Background: The use of animals to model spinal cord injury (SCI) requires extensive post-operative care and can be expensive, which makes an altemative model extremely attractive. The use ofex vivo slice cultures is an alternative way to study the pathophysiological changes that can mimic in vivo conditions and support the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) of animal use in SCI research models.