title: PAF antagonist treatment reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA after spinal cord injury.
abstract: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a pro-inflammatory molecule which contributes to secondary damage after spinal cord injury (SCI). To test if PAF contributes to cytokine induction following SCI, female Long-Evans rats were pretreated with the PAF antagonist WEB 2170 prior to receiving a contusion injury at spinal cord level T10 using the NYU impactor. RNase protection assay (RPA) analysis revealed that IL-1alpha mRNA peaked at I h post-injury while IL-1beta and IL-6 mRNA levels were higher and peaked at 6 h.TNF-alpha mRNA was almost undetectable. All mRNA levels approached baseline by 24 h. Treatment with WEB 2170 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) 15 min prior to injury significantly decreased mRNA levels for all three cytokines at 6 h post-injury, but not at I h post-injury. These results demonstrate a role for PAF in proinflammatory cytokine induction after SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hostettler
authors.forename: Sonia L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Carlson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000502:physiology*; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D013997:Time Factors; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001381:Azepines; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014230:Triazoles; C063964:bepafant