(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) modulates neurological function when intravenously infused in acute and, chronically injured spinal cord of adult rats.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe and long lasting motor and sensory deficits, chronic pain, and autonomic dysreflexia. (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has shown to produce neuroprotective effect in a broad range of neurodegenerative disease animal models. This study designed to test the efficacy of intravenous infusion of EGCG for 36 h, in acutely injured rats' spinal cord: within first 4 h post-injury and, in chronically SC injured rats: after one year of injury. Functional outcomes measured using standard BBB scale, The Louisville Swim Scale (LSS) and, pain behavior assessment tests. 72 Female adult rats subjected to moderate thoracic SCI using MASCIS Impactor, blindly randomized as the following: (I) Acute SCI + EGCG (II) Acute SCI + saline. (III) Chronic SCI + EGCG. (IV) Chronic SCI + saline and, sham SCI animals. EGCG i.v. treatment of acute and, chronic SCI animals resulted in significantly better recovery of motor and sensory functions, BBB and LSS (P < 0.005) and (P < 0.05) respectively. Tactile allodynia, mechanical nociception (P < 0.05) significantly improved. Paw withdrawal and, tail flick latencies increase significantly (P < 0.05). Moreover, in the EGCG treated acute SCI animals the percentage of lesion size area significantly reduced (P < 0.0001) and, the number of neurons in the spinal cord increased (P < 0.001). Percent areas of GAP-43 and GFAP immunohistochemistry showed significant (P < 0.05) increase. We conclude that the therapeutic window of opportunity for EGCG to depict neurological recovery in SCI animals, is viable up to one year post SCI when intravenously infused for 36 h.
Department of Anatomy, Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait. Electronic address: wrenno@hsc.edu.kw.
Waleed M
WM
Renno
Department of Pharmacology, Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait.
Ghanim
G
Al-Khaledi
Department of Anatomy, Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait.
Alyaa
A
Mousa
Department of Pharmacology, Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait.
Shaima M
SM
Karam
Department of Pharmacology, Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait.
Habib
H
Abul
Department of Surgery, Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait.
Sami
S
Asfar
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002392:Catechin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate
Behavioral tests; EGCG; Spinal cord injury