title: [Changes in levels of TNF-α and GFAP in brain and spinal cord of rabbits with decompression disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in rabbits with decompression disease (DCS), and to investigate the functioning mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 21 healthy adult rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, DCS group, and safe relief group, with 7 rabbits in each group. A rabbit DCS model was established by quick decompression. The changes in pathological morphology and mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α and GFAP in the brain and spinal cord of rabbits with DCS were determined by light microscopy, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cavity formation was observed in the white matter of spinal cord in DCS group. The mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α and GFAP was significantly higher in the DCS group than in the normal control group and safe relief group (P < 0.01), while no significant differences were observed in the brain (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal cord is the main part of central nervous system injury in DCS. Activation of TNF-α and GFAP genes accompanied by increase in their protein expression can be observed at the early stage of DCS. The astrocytes and TNF-α play important roles in the process of spinal cord injury in DCS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, 250031, China.
authors.forename: Cuicui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, 250031, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, 250031, China.
authors.forename: Ruiqi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, 250031, China.
authors.forename: Yongcheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, 250031, China.
authors.forename: Liquan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: E-mail: gm2227@sina.com.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha