Gene expression of two kinds of constitutive nitric oxide synthase in injured spinal cord tissue.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the gene expression of two kinds of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS): neuronal NOS (nNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in injured spinal cord tissue.


METHODS
Thirty-six adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into six groups: the normal group and the injury groups (2, 6, 12, 24, 48 h after injury, respectively). A compression injury model of the spinal cord wa s ma de and gene expression of nNOS and eNOS were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
The gene expression of nNOS and eNOS was detected in the normal group and they were up-regulated quickly after injury, reaching the maximum at 6 h. There was no difference between gene expression of nNOS and eNO S in the normal group, but in each injury group the gene expression of eNOS was much higher than that of nNOS.


CONCLUSIONS
Expression of constitutive NOS (cNOS) in spinal co rd tissue was up-regulated after injury mainly in the early stage. cNOS as a wh ole offers protection in spinal cord injury, but different cNOS may play different roles.
Liu
Chenglong
C
Department of Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. lclong@mail.china.com
Jin
Anmin
A
Zhou
Chusong
C
Min
Shaoxiong
S
D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression; 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
D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat