[Changes of mitochondrial apoptosis in spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury and the effects of Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection preconditioning intervention in rabbits].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanisms of mitochondrial apoptosis in spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury and the effects of Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection preconditioning intervention.


METHODS
Sixty Japanese rabbits were divided into sham-operated group, ischemia group, ischemia-reperfusion group (1, 6, 24 and 48 h), and Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection group (1, 6, 24 and 48 h). Clamping the abdominal aorta was used to construct the rabbit model of spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury. The rabbits in the ischemia-reperfusion group and the Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection group underwent reperfusion for 1, 6, 24, 48 h respectively after fifty-minute ischemia. The rabbits in the Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection group were administered with Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection at 9 mg/kg 30 minutes before ischemia. Rate of apoptotic cells was measured by flow cytometry; contents of caspase-9 and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in cytoplasm and serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Compared with the sham-operated group and the ischemia group, the rates of apoptotic cells, the contents of caspase-9 and AIF in cytoplasm were increased at all time points after reperfusion, and the contents of caspase-9 and AIF in serum were decreased after 1 h and 6 h reperfusion, and increased after 24 h and 48 h reperfusion in the ischemia-reperfusion group. Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection intervention could decrease the rate of apoptotic cells and the contents of caspase-9 and AIF in cytoplasm and serum as compared with those in the ischemia-reperfusion group, and the effects appeared after 1 h reperfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
The apoptosis of nerve cells after spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion is related to the mitochondrial pathways. Herba Erigerontis Breviscapi Injection can inhibit nerve cell apoptosis by decreasing the contents of caspase-9 and AIF in cytoplasm and serum.
Cheng
Bin
B
Third Department of Orthopaedics, Second Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Xi'an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China. drcheng2006@sina.com
Wang
Xin
X
Wang
Lei
L
Cao
Kai
K
Duan
Lei
L
Li
Feng-tao
FT
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal