Thalamic Neuron Resilience during Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome (ODS) Is Revealed by Primary Cilium Outgrowth and ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 13B Labeling in Axon Initial Segment

A murine osmotic demyelinating syndrome (ODS) model was developed through chronic hyponatremia, induced by desmopressin subcutaneous implants, followed by precipitous sodium restoration. The thalamic ventral posterolateral (VPL) and ventral posteromedial (VPM) relay nuclei were the most demyelinated regions where neuroglial damage could be evidenced without immune response. This report showed that following chronic hyponatremia, 12 h and 48 h time lapses after rebalancing osmolarity, amid the ODS-degraded outskirts, some resilient neuronal cell bodies built up primary cilium and axon hillock regions that extended into axon initial segments (AIS) where ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 13B (ARL13B)-immunolabeled rod-like shape content was revealed. These AIS-labeled shaft lengths appeared proportional with the distance of neuronal cell bodies away from the ODS damaged epicenter and time lapses after correction of hyponatremia. Fine structure examination verified these neuron abundant transcriptions and translation regions marked by the ARL13B labeling associated with cell neurotubules and their complex cytoskeletal macromolecular architecture. This necessitated energetic transport to organize and restore those AIS away from the damaged ODS core demyelinated zone in the murine model. These labeled structures could substantiate how thalamic neuron resilience occurred as possible steps of a healing course out of ODS.