Hydrogen-rich saline can inhibit apoptosis of spinal cord motor neurons in rabbits with spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury

Sun Yan-qing; Chen Xiong-sheng; Cao Dong; Zhu Wei; Jia Lian-shun

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2014.18.013

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury is a serious secondary injury of the spinal cord. Multifactor could contribute to the mechanism of this injury, and many therapeutic measures emerge, but the therapeutic effect is not ideal. <br> OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of hydrogen-rich saline on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits. <br> METHODS:ZIVIN method was adopted to prepare the model of spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury. The rabbit models were randomly divided into model group, sham operation group, and hydrogen-rich saline group. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Improved Tarlov scores for the evaluation of motor function were significantly increased in hydrogen-rich saline group compared with the model group at 6, 12, 24, 72 hours after reperfusion (P<0.01). The contents of malondialdehyde were significantly lower (P<0.05), while catalase activity was significantly higher (P<0.05) in hydrogen-rich saline group than that in model group at 72 hours after reperfusion. Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that, spinal cord anterior-horn motor neurons maintained intact structure in sham operation group;more necrotic spinal cord anterior-horn motor neurons were found in model group, and granular-vacuolar degeneration occurred in the endochylema. In hydrogen-rich saline group, the structure of spinal cord anterior-horn motor neurons was basical y intact, only a smal amount of spinal cord anterior-horn motor neurons appeared vacuolar degeneration. TUNEL staining showed no apoptotic spinal cord anterior-horn motor neurons in sham operation group. Many inflammatory cel s and apoptotic neurons were found in model group. There were few inflammatory cel s and apoptotic neurons in hydrogen-rich saline group. Hydrogen-rich saline can prevent the apoptosis of spinal cord anterior-horn motor neurons in rabbits with spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the underlying mechanism is associated with antioxidative effect.