J Vis Exp 2021 Dec 10;178:. doi: 10.3791/63276.

Spinal Cord Transection In Xenopus laevis Tadpoles.

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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a permanent affliction, which affects the central nervous system (CNS) motor and sensory nerves, resulting in paralysis beneath the injury site. To date, there is no functional recovery therapy for SCI, and there is a lack of clarity regarding the many complexes and dynamic events occurring after SCI. Many non-mammalian organisms can regenerate after severe SCI, such as teleost fishes, urodele amphibians, and larval stages of anuran amphibians, including Xenopus laevis tadpoles. These are bona fide model organisms to study and understand the response to SCI and the mechanisms underlying successful regenerative processes. This type of research can lead to the identification of potential targets for SCI therapeutic intervention. This article describes how to perform Xenopus laevis tadpole spinal cord transection, including husbandry, surgery, postsurgery care, and functional test evaluation. This injury method can be applied for elucidating the different steps of spinal cord regeneration by studying the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms, as well as histological and functional evolution after SCI and during spinal cord regeneration.

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Species referenced: Xenopus laevis