Effects of resveratrol on secondary damages after acute spinal cord injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of resveratrol (Res) on secondary spinal cord edema, the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Na+, K+-ATPase, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in experimental spinal cord injured (SCI) rats.


METHODS
The weight-dropping method was used to produce the experimental SCI in adult rats. Res ( 50, 100 mg/kg) and methylprednisolone (MPSS) 100 mg/kg were injected ip immediately after the induction of SCI. The effects of Res on edema, LDH, Na+, K+-ATPase, and MDA were determined at 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h after SCI compared with MPSS. The electron microscope was employed to investigate the ultrastructural effects of Res on axons, neurons, and subcellular organelles after SCI.


RESULTS
Res obviously inhibited the secondary spinal cord edema with the most remarkable suppressing rate by 11.5 % at 48 h. Res significantly suppressed the activities of the lactate dehydrogenase with the highest suppressing rate > 40 % at 24 h. Res markedly improved the Na+, K+-ATPase activities that were promoted to the biggest extent of 60 % at 48 h. At the same time, Res (50 and 100 mg/kg) obviously reduced MDA production in the injured spinal cord tissue in comparison with the SCI model, the most remarkable effect of Res was detected at 48 h with the inhibitory rate >40 %. The ultrastructural findings suggested that SCI caused profound spinal cord damage, which could be protected or improved by injection of Res and MPSS.


CONCLUSIONS
Both Res and MPSS effectively protected the spinal cord from secondary spinal cord injures. But the effects of Res 50 and 100 mg/kg were stronger in improving the energy metabolism system and inhibiting the lipid peroxidation in the local injured spinal cord after SCI than MPSS at the dose of 100 mg/kg. Res might have greatly potent therapeutic effects on SCI.
Yang
Ying-Bao
YB
Department of Anatomy, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. yangyb@fimmu.com
Piao
Ying-Jie
YJ
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077185:Resveratrol; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013267:Stilbenes; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D000077185:Resveratrol; D008775:Methylprednisolone