title: Rapamycin plays a neuroprotective effect after spinal cord injury via anti-inflammatory effects.
abstract: Whether rapamycin has neuroprotective effects in spinal cord injury remains controversial. The present study shows that rapamycin protects neurons from death after spinal cord injury by inhibiting the secondary inflammatory response. The effects of rapamycin were tested using a myeloperoxidase assay, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The experimental results showed that after spinal cord injury, rapamycin reduced the numbers of activated microglia and neutrophils in the damage zone, lowered the expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, reduced the apoptotic cells, and increased the survival of neurons. The above data proved that rapamycin diminishes inflammatory cell activation and proliferation, downregulates the expression of inflammatory factors, reduces the microenvironmental damage effects on neurons in the acute injury phase, and thus promotes the survival of neurons. Therefore, we believe that rapamycin has neuroprotective effects in spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology & Embryology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China; Department of Anatomy, Changchun Medical College, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China. 1171210035@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Ting-ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jia-mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C000594089:IL1B protein, rat; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020123:Sirolimus
keywords: Inflammation; Neuron protection; Rapamycin; Rat; Secondary damage; Spinal cord injury