title: Supplement zinc as an effective treatment for spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a key role in the pathophysiology process and therapy of spinal cord injury (SCI). Accordingly, zinc regulates the expression of BDNF and its receptor in the central nervous system, the mechanism of which is still unknown. The present study investigates whether supplement zinc could reduce neurological damage in a rat model, with spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and how the effect of zinc transporter 1(ZnT-1) was involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly and evenly divided into four groups. They were subjected to spinal cord ischemia by clamping the abdominal aorta for 45 min. Rats in the zinc-deficient dietary model group (ZD), zinc-adequate dietary model group (ZA), and zinc-high dietary model group (ZH) were given free access to purified diet, containing 5, 30, or 180 mg Zn/kg. Sham operation rats were subjected to laparotomy without clamping of the aorta and were fed by ZA diet (30 mg Zn/kg). Neurological function was scored by Tarlov's score. The spinal cord segments (L5) were harvested for histological examination, auto-metallographic (AMG) analysis, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity analysis, expression of ZnT-1 and BDNF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rats in the ZH group have shown the higher neurological scores, slighter histological changes and the attenuated MPO activity, compared with those in the ZD and ZA groups at the four observation time points (p<0.05). The AMG staining density in the ZH group was significantly higher than that of ZD group in 14 days later after the operation. Compared with other groups, ZH group's expression of Zn-T1 and BDNF were significantly increased, and was positively correlated with the same time points after surgery (Spearman rho=0.403, p=0.0152.)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that zinc supplement can significantly reduce the spinal cord I/R injury in rats. The mechanism may be related with restraining the MPO activity and increasing of ZnT-1, which promoted the synthesis and release of BDNF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China.
authors.forename: Yansong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Zhoupu Hospital of Pudong New Area, Shanghai City, PR China.
authors.forename: Ribao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhongkai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang City, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China.
authors.forename: Deshui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou City, PR China. Electronic address: wys990709@126.com.
authors.forename: Xifan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015032:Zinc / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; C092392:Slc30a1 protein, rat; D009195:Peroxidase; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Ischemia/reperfusion injury; Spinal cord; Zinc; Zinc transporter 1