title: Neuroprotective effects of PEP-1-Cu,Zn-SOD against ischemic neuronal damage in the rabbit spinal cord.
abstract: A rabbit model of spinal cord ischemia has been introduced as a good model to investigate the pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion (I-R)-induced paraplegia. In the present study, we observed the effects of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) against ischemic damage in the ventral horn of L(5-6) levels in the rabbit spinal cord. For this study, the expression vector PEP-1 was constructed, and this vector was fused with SOD1 to create a PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein that easily penetrated the blood-brain barrier. Spinal cord ischemia was induced by transient occlusion of the abdominal aorta for 15 min. PEP-1-SOD1 (0.5 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to rabbits 30 min before ischemic surgery. The administration of PEP-1-SOD1 significantly improved neurological scores compared to those in the PEP-1 (vehicle)-treated ischemia group. Also, in this group, the number of cresyl violet-positive cells at 72 h after I-R was much higher than that in the vehicle-treated ischemia group. Malondialdehyde levels were significantly decreased in the ischemic spinal cord of the PEP-1-SOD1-treated ischemia group compared to those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group. In contrast, the administration of PEP-1-SOD1 significantly ameliorated the ischemia-induced reduction of SOD and catalase levels in the ischemic spinal cord. These results suggest that PEP-1-SOD1 protects neurons from spinal ischemic damage by decreasing lipid peroxidation and maintaining SOD and catalase levels in the ischemic rabbit spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea.
authors.forename: Woosuk
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: In Koo
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Moo-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Soo Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sei Woong
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Je Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Hyung Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Seung Myung
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D017931:DNA Primers; D007511:Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase