title: Gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in injured spinal cord tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in injured spinal cord tissue of rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into six groups: a normal group and five injury groups, six animals in ea ch group. Animals in the injury groups were killed at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours after injury, respectively. A compression injury model of spinal cord was established according to Nystrom B et al, and gene expression of iNOS in spinal cord tissue was examined by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gene expression of iNOS was not detectable in normal spinal cord tissue but was seen in the injury groups. The expression was gradually up -regulated, reaching the maximum at 24 hours. The expression at 48 hours began to decrease but was still significantly higher than that at 2 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  iNOS is not involved in the normal physiological activities of spinal cord. Expression of iNOS is up-regulated in spinal cord tissue in response to injury and the up-regulation exists mainly in the late stage after injury. Over-expression of iNOS may contribute to the l ate injury of spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, The First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat