title: [Role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in spinal cord injury of rabbits with decompression sickness].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the pathological changes in rabbits with spinal cord injury induced by decompression sickness (DCS), and to investigate the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in spinal cord injury induced by DCS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbits were randomly divided into normal control group, DCS group, and safe decompression group. The rabbit model of DCS was established. Light microscopy, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemical method were used to observe the pathomorphological changes in the thoracolumbar spinal cord and the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, respectively. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to observe the apoptosis in the spinal cord.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the DCS group, cavities formed in the white matter of spinal cord and gliosis occurred around necrotic areas. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α was significantly higher in the DCS group than in the normal control group and the safe decompression group (P<0.01). The results of TUNEL showed that the number of positive apoptotic cells was significantly larger in the DCS group than in the normal control group and the safe decompression group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apoptosis plays an important role in spinal cord injury induced by DCS. In the early stage of DCS, the massive release of TNF-α initiates apoptosis and contributes to the pathological changes in spinal cord injury induced by 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.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ruixia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yongcheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Ruiqi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mao
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; D017209:Apoptosis; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011817:Rabbits; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha