Abstract
In the present study, we explored the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an alkaloid
extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Ligusticum wallichii Franchat (chuanxiong), on a rat model of contusion spinal cord injury (SCI). The
contusion SCI model was induced in rats by a modified Allen's weight-drop method with
a severity of 5 g×50 mm impacting on the T10 segment. In the TMP treatment group, rats were injected intraperitoneally
(i.p.) with TMP (200 mg/kg), every 24 h for 5 days, starting half an hour after contusion SCI. The control group was treated with
saline. Compared with the control group, the TMP group significantly ameliorated the
recovery of hindlimb function of rats. TMP treatment significantly reduced the expression
of macrophage migration inhibitory factor, nuclear factor κappa B, pro-inflammatory
cytokine interleukin-18 and neutrophil infiltration. On the other hand, TMP enhanced
the expression of inhibitor κappa B and anti-inflammation cytokine interleukin-10.
In conclusion, our results demonstrate that TMP inhibits the development of inflammation
and tissue injury associated with spinal cord contusion in rats which may improve
the rats' hindlimb function.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 08, 2012
Accepted:
October 16,
2012
Received in revised form:
October 14,
2012
Received:
February 9,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
