title: Brain protection by methylprednisolone in rats with spinal cord injury.
abstract: Traumatic spinal cord injury is clinically treated by high doses of methylprednisolone. However, the effect of methylprednisolone on the brain in spinal cord injury patients has been little investigated. This experimental study examined Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression and Nissl staining to evaluate an apoptosis-related intracellular signaling event and final neuron death, respectively. Spinal cord injury produced a significant apoptotic change and cell death not only in the spinal cord but also in the supraventricular cortex and hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 region in the rat brains. The treatment of methylprednisolone increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and prevented neuron death for 1-7 days after spinal cord injury. These findings suggest that rats with spinal cord injury show ascending brain injury that could be restricted through methylprednisolone management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Mao
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ming-Hsueh
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ting-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hsu-Huei
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Chiu-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Jen-Tsung
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D008775:Methylprednisolone