The Study Of The Effects Of Propofol On The Blood Spinal Cord Barrier In Rabbits With Spinal Cord Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Model

[Aims] To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of propofol on blood spinal cord barrier(BSCB)disruption induced by spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury.[Methods] Seventy-two Japanese white rabbits were randomly equally assigned to 3groups: sham-operation group(S);ischemia/reperfusion group(I/R);ischemia/reperfusion with propofol treatment(I/R+P).Group S just separated the aorta without cross-clamping.Spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury(SCIRI)was induced in rabbits by infrarenal aortic occlusion for 30 minutes.Propofol was intravenously infused(30mg/kg)at two points,once at 10 minutes before aortic clamping and once at onset of reperfusion in the Group I/R+P.Group S and Group I/R were intravenously infused 0.9% sodium chloride with the same capacity and speed at the same time point.Hind-limb motor function was assessed using Tarlov criteria,and the degree of spinal cord injury was assessed by histologic examination.The permeability of the BSCB was examined using Evans blue(EB)as vascular tracers.The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-k B)were assessed by Western blot,RT-PCR.Claudin-5 expression was also measured.[Results] Propofol minimizes the neuromotor dysfunction and histopathologic deficits and attenuates EB extravasation at 24 hours and 48 hours after SCIRI.In addition,compared with I/R group,propofol suppresses spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced increases in MMP-9 and NF-k B in the I/R+P group(P<0.05).Compared with I/R group,the expression of claudin-5 increased in the I/R+P group(P<0.05).[Conclusion] Propofol protects the BSCB integrity after SCIRI in rabbits model.This beneficial effect is partly mediated by inhibition of MMP-9 and preservation of tight junction protein-claudin-5.This may be connected with inhibiting the NF-kB signal pathway.