The NMDA receptor expression and significance in the pulmonary after acute spinal cord injury causing lung injury in rats

Abstract

Objective To investigate the NMDA receptor expression and significance in the lung injury caused by acute spinal cord injury.Methods 36 rats were divided into two groups:model group(group A)and MK-801 treated group(group B)which were divided into subgroups of 12h,1,3 days after injury respectively(each subgroup,n=6).All animals were sacrificed at the time points(12h,1d,3d)after injury.Group B were treated with 0.1 ms/kg MK-801 6h before sacrificed.The lung W/D,the content of cells and the total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were determined.Results In group A,pulmonary hemorrhage and edema were observed at the 12th hour,and reached peak at the 3rd day after injury.Those parameters determined in group B were significantly improved than that in group A(P<0.05).Conclusions Pulmonary hemorrhage and edema appear in the early stage after spinal cord injury in rats,which may be the pathological basic of the early respiratory failure and pulmonary infection,and it may induce the acute lung injury through the activation of NMDA receptor. Key words: Spinal cord injuries/CO; Respiratory distress syndrome,adult/CO; Receptors,N-methyl-D-Aspartate/ME