title: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides neuroprotection following spinal cord injury in a rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the iNOS mRNA-iNOS-NO signaling pathway and neurofunction protected in a rat spinal cord injury model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (n=12), SCI group (n=12) and SCI + HBOT group (n=12). SCI + HBOT group In the SCI group and SCI + HBOT groups, SCI was performed on rats. In the SCI + HBOT group, rats with SCI underwent HBO treatment 30 min after SCI for 24 sessions. After HBO therapy, measurement of motor evoked potential (MEP), Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) scoring and pathological examination were done. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expression of iNOS, respectively. Diazo colorimetry was performed to detect the serum NO content.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA and protein expression of iNOS in the spinal cord and the serum NO content were markedly increased in the SCI group as compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, the mRNA and protein expression of iNOS and the serum NO content were dramatically reduced in the SCI + HBOT group as compared to the SCI group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBO therapy can promote the neuroprotection following SCI, which may be related to the effect of HBO on the iNOS mRNA-iNOS-NO signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Rehabilitation, Division II. Neurology Specialty Hospital, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, Guangzhou 510010, Guangdong Province, China. huanghuai1999@163.com
authors.forename: Huai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qibiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Huiqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Shuilin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Huangyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat
keywords: Hyperbaric oxygen; inducible nitric oxide synthase; nitric oxide; rat; spinal cord injury