Estrogen attenuated markers of inflammation and decreased lesion volume in acute spinal cord injury in rats.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurologic injury with functional deficits for which the only currently recommended pharmacotherapy is high-dose methylprednisolone, which has limited efficacy. Estrogen is a multi-active steroid that has shown antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects, and estrogen may modulate intracellular Ca(2+) and attenuate apoptosis. For this study, male rats were divided into three groups. Sham group animals received a laminectomy at T12. Injured rats received both laminectomy and 40 g x cm force SCI. Estrogen-group rats received 4 mg/kg 17beta-estradiol (estrogen) at 15 min and 24 hr post-injury, and vehicle-group rats received equal volumes of dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle). Animals were sacrificed at 48 hr post-injury, and 1-cm-long segments of the lesion, rostral penumbra, and caudal penumbra were excised. Inflammation was assessed by examining tissue edema, infiltration of macrophages/microglia, and levels of cytosolic and nuclear NFkappaB and inhibitor of kappa B (IkappaBalpha). Myelin integrity was examined using Luxol fast blue staining. When compared to sham, vehicle-treated animals revealed increased tissue edema, increased infiltration of inflammatory cells, decreased cytosolic levels of NFkappaB and IkappaBalpha, increased levels of nuclear NFkappaB, and increased myelin loss. Treatment of SCI rats with estrogen reduced edema and decreased inflammation and myelin loss in the lesion and penumbral areas, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent. Further work needs to be done, however, to elucidate the neuroprotective mechanism of estrogen.
Sribnick
Eric Anthony
EA
Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Wingrave
James Michael
JM
Matzelle
Deborah Denise
DD
Wilford
Gloria Gant
GG
Ray
Swapan Kumar
SK
Banik
Naren Lal
NL
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005911:Gliosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009187:Myelitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D004967:Estrogens; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents