Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on rats following spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsA total of 45 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups. Sham-SCI group was surgically exposed but not subjected to the SCI procedure. SCI-control group was administered SCI and treated with regular air. SCI-HBO group was administered SCI and HBO treatment. Neuromotor functions were examined using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and the inclined plane assessment at before SCI (baseline) and after SCI. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured.ResultsStarting from Day 1 after SCI but except Day 2, the SCI-HBO group has significantly higher BBB scores than the SCI-control group. After SCI, the maximum inclination angles at which rats could maintain were significantly lower in both SCI groups. But the maximum angles were significantly bigger for the rats in the SCI-HBO group than those on the SCI-control group at 5, 10 and 20 days after SCI. SOD activities in SCI-HBO rats were significantly higher and MDA levels were significantly lower than in SCI-control rats, at two and five days after SCI. There was also less cystic degeneration of spinal cord in SCI-HBO rats, compared to SCI-control rats.ConclusionsThese results suggest that HBO treatment has a therapeutic value in treating SCI. Increased oxygen free radical scavenging and reduced lipid oxidation may be one of the mechanisms.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on rats following spinal cord injury (SCI)
At one hour after SCI, the BBB scores were dramatically lowered to 1.7 ± 0.6 in the SCI-control group and 2.5 ± 0.7 in the SCI-HBO group, respectively
Serum Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly higher and MDA levels were significantly lower in the SCI rats of the HBO group than those in the control group, at both 2 and 5 days post-SCI, suggesting an increase in SOD activities and reduced lipid peroxidation caused by oxygen free radicals
Summary
The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on rats following spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuronal cell membrane structures are rich in lipids, and research has found that lipid oxidation caused by free radicals has important implications on SCI outcome [1, 2]. While some studies into SCI treatment have found that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) can reduce the generation of oxygen free radicals in the body, reducing the oxygen free radicals caused. The spinal cord neurons contain membrane structures rich in lipid, the oxidation of which during SCI further exacerbates neuronal damage. The SOD and MDA levels in the body are a reflection of the extent of lipid peroxidation in injured cells [2].
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