[Role of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the apoptosis and p-p38 MAPK signal transduction in rat neurons after spinal cord injury].
OBJECTIVE
To study the role of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASODN) of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) on the apoptosis and p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK) signal transduction of the neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI).


METHODS
Antisense and non-sense oligodeoxynucleotides of iNOS were designed and synthesized, and injected into the subarachnoid space 12 h before the compressive injury was given to the rat spinal cord. Reverse transcription-PCR and flow-cytometry were used to examine the iNOS mRNA expression and the apoptosis of the neurons within the injured spinal cord. The changes of p-p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway were detected by Western blotting.


RESULTS
Obvious increase in iNOS expression and up-regulated p-p38 MAPK were detected after SCI, and neuronal apoptosis was observed in the injured spinal cord. ASODN-iNOS treatment resulted in decreased expression levels of iNOS mRNA and p-p38 MAPK, and the neuronal apoptosis was alleviated.


CONCLUSIONS
ASODN-iNOS inhibits iNOS expression and neuronal apoptosis following SCI which may be related to the p-p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway.
Zhang
Xin-yu
XY
Department of Orthopaedics, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. ezhxy@yiyee.com
Zhou
Chu-song
CS
Jin
An-min
AM
Guo
Ai-lin
AL
Tian
Jing
J
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008297:Male; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases