title: Beneficial effects of hydrogen gas against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits.
abstract: Recently, hydrogen gas (H₂) is reported to be a new therapeutic agent in organ damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The present study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of H₂ against spinal cord I/R injury and its associated mechanisms. Spinal cord ischemia was induced by infrarenal aortic occlusion for 20 min in male New Zealand white rabbits. Treatment with 1%, 2% or 4% H₂ inhalation was given from 10 min before reperfusion to 60 min after reperfusion (total 70 min). Here, we found that I/R-challenged animals showed significant spinal cord damage characterized by the decreased numbers of normal motor neurons and hind-limb motor dysfunction, which was significantly improved by 2% and 4 % H₂ treatment. Furthermore, we found that the beneficial effects of H₂ treatment against spinal cord I/R injury were associated with the decreased levels of oxidative products [8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) and malondialdehyde (MDA)] and pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)], as well as increased activities of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)] in serum and spinal cord. In addition, H₂ treatment reduced motor neuron apoptosis in the spinal cord of this model. Thus, H₂ inhalation may be an effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord I/R damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Keliang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jipeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Gu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Guolin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yonghao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Lize
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011817:Rabbits; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016207:Cytokines; D006859:Hydrogen