A Sensitive Fluorometric Method for Measurement of Vascular Permeability in Spinal Cord Injury

A sensitive fluorometric method was modified for the evaluation of drug action upon vascular permeability in rat spinal cord injury. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran (FITC-D MW 71,200), used as a macromolecular tracer, was injected iv 2 hours before sacrifice. The optimal pH for FITC-D fluorescence was 8.2. The recovery in spinal cord was 101.4 +/- 4.0% (mean +/- SD). The extent of FITC-D extravasation, expressed as the vascular injury index (VII), was increased in proportion to the trauma force. The peak of VII after trauma was at 2 hours. This fluorometric method is sensitive, simple, and reliable for evaluation of drug effects upon vascular permeability in CNS trauma.