title: Intraspinal MDL28170 microinjection improves functional and pathological outcome following spinal cord injury.
abstract: Although calpain (calcium-activated cysteine protease) inhibition represents a rational therapeutic target for spinal cord injury (SCI), few studies have reported improved functional outcomes with post-injury administration of calpain inhibitors. This reflects the weak potency and limited aqueous solubility of current calpain inhibitors. Previously, we demonstrated that intraspinal microinjection of the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 resulted in greater inhibition of calpain activity as compared to systemic administration of the same compound. In the present study, we evaluated the ability of intraspinal MDL28170 microinjection to spare spinal tissue and locomotor dysfunction following SCI. Contusion SCI was produced in female Long-Evans rats using the Infinite Horizon impactor at the 200-kdyn force setting. Open-field locomotion was evaluated until 6 weeks post-injury. Histological assessment of tissue sparing was performed at 6 weeks after SCI. The results demonstrate that MDL28170, administered with a single post-injury intraspinal microinjection (50 nmoles), significantly improves both locomotor function and pathological outcome measures following SCI.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Chen-Guang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Aashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Geddes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002154:Calpain / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008845:Microinjections; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D004151:Dipeptides; D002154:Calpain; C058076:calpain inhibitor III