Protective Mechanism Of Safflower Injection On Spinal Cord Acute Injury In Rats

Part Ⅰ The effectsof Safflower injection on the acute edema andorganizational structure after acute spinal cord injury in adult ratsObjective:To study the effects of safflower on locomotor function, histopathology and tissuewater content of the experimental spinal cord injury model with weight-dropping methodin adult rats.Methods:Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into4groups: Sham-operationgroup(group A), spinal cord injury group(group B), Methylprednisolone SodiumSuccinate(MPSS) group(group C), and safflower group(group D). Animal models of spinalcord injury were induced with weight-dropping method. In C and D group, MPSS of30mg/kg and safflower of100mg/kg was respectively injected by intraperitonealimmediately after modeling. The locomotor function of the hind limbs were evaluated at1h,24h,48h after SCI, and the histopathological study, tissue water content changes in thespinal cord were observed at the1h,24h and48h after modeling.Results:1. The hind limb locomotor function of the rats in group A was completely recovered.Compared with that in group B, the hind limb locomotor function of rats in group C andgroup D all improved at24h and48h, with a little significant improvement at24h(P<0.05)and more significant difference at48h (P<0.01).2. Spinal cord tissues after rat spinal cord injury were observed by HE staining andlight microscopy. In group A, the tissue structure was well preserved, and some neurons were clear, in which cytoplasm is homogeneous and nucleoli were evident. In group B, thenerve tissue showed multifocal leukoencephalopathy bleeding and a number of nerve cellsand nissl bodies disappeared. The nucleus became small because of pycnosis. In group C,the injury of the nerve tissue was mild, the cells appeared swelling and the cytoplasm washomogeneous. The tissue situation in group D is similar to those in group C.3. Spinal cord tissues after rat spinal cord injury were observed by transmissionelectron microscopy. In group A, the structure of myelin sheath was in integrity. In group B,lamellar structures were disordered with fractured layers, axoplasms were out of axilemmaand even some vacuoles appeared in myelin sheath. In group C, the injury of the nervetissue was mild, the axons appeared swelling and individual myelin sheath was thinningand missing. The tissue situation in group D is similar to those in group C.4. Tissue water content in group B,C and D all are significantly higher than that ingroup A(P<0.05) after modeling. And tissue water content in group D is lower than that ingroup B at24h(P<0.05), even more significantly lower at48h(P<0.01)。Conclusions:1. Safflower injection and MPSS inhibits apoptosis and alleviate necrosis on nervecell after SCI, even protect the parts of directly undamaged neurons, which providehistological basis for recovery of neurological function.2. Safflower injection can promote the recovery of locomotor function, eliminatetissue edema from SCI, and reduce inflammation caused by tissue edema, better than thatof MPSS. Part Ⅱ The effectsof Safflower injection on energy metabolism ofdamaged section after acute spinal cord injury in adult ratsObjective:To study the effects of safflower on lactic acid(LD), lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) andNa+/K+-ATPase of the experimental spinal cord injury model with weight-dropping methodin adult rats.Methods:Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into4groups: Sham-operationgroup(group A), spinal cord injury group(group B), Methylprednisolone SodiumSuccinate(MPSS) group(group C), and safflower group(group D). Animal models of spinalcord injury were induced with weight-dropping method. In C and D group, MPSS of30mg/kg and safflower of100mg/kg was respectively injected by intraperitonealimmediately after modeling. Changes on lactic acid, lactic dehydrogenase andNa+/K+-ATPase in the spinal cord were observed at the1h,24h and48h after modeling.Results:1. LD content in group B,C and D all are significantly higher than that in group A(P<0.01) after modeling. LD content in group C and D are lower than those in group B at24h(P<0.05), even more significantly lower at48h(P<0.01). There are no significantdifference between group C and D.2. Compared with those in group A, LDH activity at1h,24h,48h are obviouslyhigher in group B after SCI(P<0.01). LDH activity in group C are lower than those ingroup B(P<0.05), even more significantly lower in group D at24h(P<0.01). LDHactivity in group C and D are both significantly lower than those in group B(P<0.01),while no significant difference between group C and D.3. Compared with those in group A, Na+/K+-ATPase activity at1h,24h,48h areobviously lower in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Na+/K+-ATPase activity in group C and D are higher than those in group B at24h and48h(P<0.05), while no significant differencbetween group C and D.Conclusions:1. Safflower injection can effectively improve glucose metabolism and reduce edemin damadged section of the spinal cord tissue after SCI, which prevent further deterioratioof SCI.2. Safflower injection can effectively improve energy metabolism and reduce edemin damadged section of the spinal cord tissue after SCI, which prevent further deterioratioof SCI. Part Ⅲ The effects of Safflower injection on energy metabolism ofdamaged section after acute spinal cord injury in adult ratsObjective:To study the effects of safflower on Ca2+, Mg2+and Ca2+-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase,Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase of the experimental spinal cord injury model with weight-droppingmethod in adult rats.Methods:Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into4groups: Sham-operationgroup(group A), spinal cord injury group(group B), Methylprednisolone SodiumSuccinate(MPSS) group(group C), and safflower group(group D). Animal models of spinalcord injury were induced with weight-dropping method. In C and D group, MPSS of30mg/kg and safflower of100mg/kg was respectively injected by intraperitonealimmediately after modeling. Changes on Ca2+, Mg2+and Ca2+-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase in the spinal cord were observed at the1h,24h and48h aftermodeling.Results:1. Compared with those in group A, Ca2+content at1h,24h,48h are obviouslyhigher in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Ca2+content in group C and D are lower than thosein group B at24h and48h (P<0.01). There are no significant difference between group Cand D.2. Compared with those in group A, Mg2+content at1h,24h,48h are obviouslylower in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Mg2+content in group C and D are higher than thosein group B at24h and48h (P<0.01), while no significant difference between group C andD.3. Compared with those in group A, Ca2+-ATPase activity at1h,24h,48h areobviously lower in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Ca2+-ATPase activity in group C and D arehigher than those in group B at24h after SCI (P<0.01), while compared with those ingroup B at48h, Ca2+-ATPase activity only are higher in group D(P<0.05) and notsignificantly different in group C.4. Compared with those in group A, Mg2+-ATPase activity at1h,24h,48h areobviously lower in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Compared with those in group B,Mg2+-ATPase activity are higher in group C and D at1h and24h (P<0.05), while evenmore significantly higher at48h(P<0.01) and those in group D are better than in group C.5. Compared with those in group A, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase activity at1h,24h,48h areobviously lower in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Compared with those in group B,Mg2+-ATPase activity are higher in group C and D at1h and24h (P<0.05), while evenmore significantly higher in group D at48h(P<0.01).Conclusions:1. Safflower injection can effectively inhibit the decrease of Ca2+-ATPase, Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase activity after SCI, which prevent the secondary damage caused by calciumoverload in nerve cells.2. Safflower injection can effectively inhibit the decrease of Mg2+-ATPase after SCI, which prevent Mg2+concentration decrease. Consequently,these effectively improvedlocal calcium overload as well as the state of energy metabolism, and delayed theoccurrence of the secondary damage in nerve cells after SCI. Part Ⅳ The effects of Safflower injection on Lipid peroxidation andand ROS after acute spinal cord injury in adult ratsObjective:To study the effects of safflower on malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxidedismutase(SOD) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) of the experimental spinal cord injurymodel with weight-dropping method in adult rats.Methods:Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into4groups: Sham-operationgroup(group A), spinal cord injury group(group B), Methylprednisolone SodiumSuccinate(MPSS) group(group C), and safflower group(group D). Animal models of spinalcord injury were induced with weight-dropping method. In C and D group, MPSS of30mg/kg and safflower of100mg/kg was respectively injected by intraperitonealimmediately after modeling. Changes on MDA, SOD and ROS in the spinal cord wereobserved at the1h,24h and48h after modeling.Results:1. Compared with those in group A, MDA content at1h,24h,48h are obviouslyhigher in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Compared with those in group B, MDA are lower ingroup C and D at1h and24h (P<0.05), while even more significantly higher in group Dat48h(P<0.01).There are no significant difference between group C and D. 2. Compared with those in group A, ROS content at1h,24h,48h are obviouslyhigher in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Compared with those in group B, ROS are lower ingroup C and D at1h and24h (P<0.05), while even more significantly higher in group Dat48h(P<0.01).There are no significant difference between group C and D.3. Compared with those in group A, SOD activity at1h,24h,48h are obviouslylower in group B after SCI(P<0.01). Compared with those in group B, SOD activity arehigher in group D at1h, then higher in group C and D at24h (P<0.05), and even moresignificantly higher in group C and D at48h(P<0.01). There are no significant differencebetween group C and D.Conclusions:1. Safflower injection can obviously reduce the content of MDA and ROS and raiseSOD activity, which inhibited oxygen free radicals in damage section after SCI andeffective removed oxygen free radicals and so on, consequently blocked lipid peroxidation.2. Safflower injection can inhibit MDA and ROS, better than that of MPSS.