[Protective effect of adenosine preconditioning against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of adenosine preconditioning on cell apoptosis and expressions of glucose-regulated protein (GRP-78) and cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 12 (caspase-12) in rats with spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury.


METHODS
Twenty-seven rats were randomized into 3 equal groups and subjected to sham operation (group A), spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (group B), or ischemia-reperfusion injury with adenosine treatment. Spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced by cross-clamping of the abdominal aorta inferior to the left renal artery. The spinal cord function was assessed using the Modified Tarlov Scale at 6, 12, and 24 h after reperfusion. At 24 h after reperfusion, histological analysis was carried out with HE staining; cell apoptosis and viability were determined with TUNEL staining, and the expressions of GRP-78 and caspase-12 proteins were determined with Western blotting.


RESULTS
HE staining of the spinal cord showed extensive spinal cord injury such as cell edema in group B as compared with group C. Compared with group A, group B showed a significantly increased number of apoptotic cells; the number of apoptotic cells in group B was greater than that in group C. Compared with group B, group C showed significantly increased GRP-78 expression (P<0.01) and decreased caspase-12 expression (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Adenosine can up-regulate GRP-78 expression and down-regulate caspase-12 expression, and protects the spinal cord against ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting cell apoptosis.
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. E-mail: fuqi4300@163.com.
Qi
Q
Fu
Zhengfang
Z
Zhou
Xiaohui
X
Li
Huiming
H
Guo
Xiaoping
X
Fan
Jimei
J
Chen
Jian
J
Zhuang
Shaoyi
S
Zheng
Ping
P
Zhu
D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053454:Caspase 12 / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism*; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
D000241:Adenosine; D053454:Caspase 12; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C051684:GRP78 protein, rat; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C506443:Casp12 protein, rat