Abstract
Physical inactivity in response to a spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a potent stimulus for conduit artery remodelling. Changes in conduit artery characteristics may be induced by the local effects of denervation (and consequent extreme inactivity below the level of the lesion), and also by systemic adaptations due to whole body inactivity. Therefore, we assessed the time course of carotid (i.e. above lesion) and common femoral artery (i.e. below lesion) lumen diameter and wall thickness across the first 24 weeks after an SCI. Eight male subjects (mean age 35 ± 14 years) with a traumatic motor complete spinal cord lesion between T5 and L1 (i.e. paraplegia) were included. Four subjects were measured across the first 6 weeks after SCI, whilst another four subjects were measured from 8 until 24 weeks after SCI. Ultrasound was used to examine the diameter and wall thickness from the carotid and common femoral arteries. Carotid artery diameter did not change across 24 weeks, whilst femoral artery diameter stabilised after the rapid initial decrease during the first 3 weeks after the SCI. Carotid and femoral artery wall thickness showed no change during the first few weeks, but increased both between 6 and 24 weeks (P < 0.05). In conclusion, SCI leads to a rapid and localised decrease in conduit artery diameter which is isolated to the denervated and paralyzed region, whilst wall thickness gradually increases both above and below the lesion. This distinct time course of change in conduit arterial diameter and wall thickness suggests that distinct mechanisms may contribute to these adaptations.
Highlights
Physical inactivity is a potent stimulus for vascular remodelling of conduit arteries (Thijssen et al 2010), which may contribute to the associated increased cardiovascular risk (Green et al 2008)
We found no significant change in carotid artery wall thickness, diameter and wall:lumen ratio (Fig. 1) during weeks 3–6
During the first 6 weeks following spinal cord injury (SCI), we observed no change in carotid or femoral arterial wall thickness
Summary
Physical inactivity is a potent stimulus for vascular remodelling of conduit arteries (Thijssen et al 2010), which may contribute to the associated increased cardiovascular risk (Green et al 2008). The aims of this study were: (1) to examine whether SCI leads to adaptations in wall thickness due to whole body physical inactivity (i.e. above lesion) or local denervation (i.e. below lesion) and (2) to examine the time course of changes in arterial wall thickness across a period of physical inactivity. To this end, we repeatedly assessed diameter and wall thickness of the femoral and carotid arteries across the first 24 weeks after an SCI. We expect a similar time course in the carotid and femoral artery after an SCI
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