Burned spinal cord in acidotic cerebrospinal fluid during subarachnoid hemorrhage: Experimental study

Objective: We investigated the effect of carotid body ischemia-induced cerebrospinal fluid acidosis on spinal cord during subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods: Twenty-three hybrid rabbits were divided into three groups: control (n = 5), Sham (injected with 0.5 ml isotonic) (n = 6), and the SAH (n = 12) (injected with 0.5 ml autologous blood into the 4th ventricle) and then monitored for 3 weeks. Cerebrospinal fluid pH and degenerated ependymal cell density and volume of cervical central canal were analyzed. Results: The mean cervical central canal volumes, degenerated ependymal cells densities, and cerebrospinal pH values were 1.056 +/- 0.053 mm(3)-6 +/- 2 per mm(2)-7.342 +/- 0.034, 1.321 +/- 0.12 mm(3)-35 +/- 9 per mm2-7.314 +/- 0.056, and 1.743 +/- 0.245 mm(3)-159 +/- 24 per mm(2)-7.257 +/- 0.049 in the Control, Sham, and SAH groups, respectively. The more degenerated carotid body neuron density induced decreased cerebrospinal fluid pH values (p < 0.0001) could result in the more ependymal cells desquamation (p < 0.0005) and central canal dilatation (p < 0.00001). Conclusion: Increased neurodegeneration of carotid bodies can reduce cause cerebrospinal fluid pH-induced ependymal cell degeneration and central canal dilatation following SAH.