| Objective:Study the possible mechanism of the protective effects of astaxanthin in earlyspinal cord injury in the SD rats with the purpose of offering experimental basis forearly treatment of human spinal cord injury.Methods:Select66healthy, female adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, weight260～300g,the rats were randomly divided into three groups, the normal group(n=6), thesolvent control group(n=30) and the ASTA treatment group(n=3).The60rats insolvent and treatment group were made spinal cord injury model by Allen,s-WD.After the success of the modeling, the rats in treatment group were treated with ASTA20mg/d, the solvent group were given medicinal plant oil in the same dose. Execute8rats in solvent control group and ASTA treatment group respectively within24hours,3days and7days after the modeling. Four of them were executed for Nissl’s stainingand immunohistochemical staining of GFAP, the other four were executed for the testof SOD and MDA in spine tissue. Six rats of each group were observed behaviorchanges with BBB score within3days,7days,14days and21days respectively.Results:1. Results of BBB behavioral score: Compared with normal group, it showssignificant difference in solvent group and ASTA treatment group (P<0.05) at3days,7days,14days and21days after the surgery. The BBB score in ASTA treatment groupwere significantly higher than solvent group after3day and7days of the surgery(P<0.01). No significant difference had been shown between solvent group and ASTAgroup at14days and21days after the surgery (P>0.05). 2. Results of Nissl’s staining: The neurons in spine cord tissue in the normalgroup showed in complete form, the nissl body was clearly visible in normal form.The solvent group: vacuolization showed apparently in substantia grisea, the normalstructure of spine cord tissue was broken and neurogliocyte proliferation can be foundin substantia alba. Neuronal cells were seriously injured, the nucleus were broken andthe cytoplasm was feculent, nissl body was not clearly visible. The ASTA treatmentgroup compared with the solvent group: Spine cord tissue was more clear andcomplete, more normal neuron lives, less substantia grisea vacuolization andneurogliocyte proliferation. In the ASTA treatment group, the karyotheca of neuronalcells were intact, nissl body was clearly visible and the nerve axon was comparativelyintact.3. Results of MDA determination: The MDA contents in solvent group weresignificantly higher than ASTA treatment group after24hours,3days and7days of thesurgery (P<0.05). The MDA contents in ASTA treatment group were significantlyhigher than the normal group at24hours after the surgery (P<0.05) and no significantdifferences had been showed between the two groups at3days and7days after thesurgery (P>0.05).At24hours,3days and7days after the surgery, the MDA contents ofthe solvent group were significantly higher than the ASTA treatment group (P<0.01).4. Results of SOD vitality: The SOD vitality in solvent group and ASTAtreatment group were significantly lower than the normal group at24hours,3days and7days after the surgery (P<0.05). The SOD vitality in the ASTA treatment group weresignificantly higher than the solvent group at24hours,3days and7days (P<0.01).5. Results of GFAP immunohistochemistry: The GFAP positive count in thesolvent group showed an escalating trend as time goes on and the escalating trend inASTA treatment group was not obvious. The GFAP positive counts in the solventgroup and ASTA treatment group were significantly higher than normal group at24hours,3days and7days after the surgery (P<0.05). The GFAP positive count in theASTA treatment group was significantly lower than the solvent group at24hours,3days and7days after the surgery (P<0.01). Conclusion:1. ASTA reduced the peroxidation damage in rat spine cord tissue by protectingthe SOD vitality and eliminating oxygen free radicals in the early phase of spinal cordinjury.2. ASTA maybe played a protective role in spinal cord injury by inhibiting theexcessive activation of astrocytes in the early phase of rat spinal cord injury.3. Although treating the rats by ASTA with20mg/d dose enhanced thepathology changes in the early phase of rat spinal cord injury, it barely improved thelimb movement function of rats after the injury. |
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