Jiang Yong, Gong Fu-Liang, Zhao Guang-Ben, Li Jie
Orthopedics Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, 222 Zhong Shan Road, Dalian 116011, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2014 Jul 10;15(7):12270-9. doi: 10.3390/ijms150712270.
Chrysin (CH), a natural plant flavonoid, has shown a variety of beneficial effects. Our present study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of CH three days after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats and to probe the underlying neuroprotective mechanisms. SCI was induced using the modified weight-drop method in Wistar rats. Then, they were treated with saline or CH by doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg for 26 days. Neuronal function was assessed with the Basso Beattle Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB). The water content of spinal cord was determined after traumatic SCI. The NF-κB p65 unit, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in serums, as well as the apoptotic marker, caspase-3, of spinal cord tissues were measured using commercial kits. The protein level and activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were detected by western blot and a commercial kit, respectively. NO (nitric oxide) production was evaluated by the determination of nitrite concentration. The rats with SCI showed marked reductions in BBB scores, coupled with increases in the water content of spinal cord, the NF-κB p65 unit, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, NO production and caspase-3. However, a CH supplement dramatically promoted the recovery of neuronal function and suppressed the inflammatory factors, as well as the iNOS pathway in rats with SCI. Our findings disclose that CH improved neural function after SCI in rats, which might be linked with suppressing inflammation and the iNOS pathway.
白杨素（CH）是一种天然植物黄酮类化合物，已显示出多种有益作用。我们目前的研究旨在评估脊髓损伤（SCI）三天后CH对大鼠的治疗潜力，并探究其潜在的神经保护机制。采用改良的重物坠落法在Wistar大鼠中诱导SCI。然后，用生理盐水或30和100mg/kg剂量的CH对它们进行治疗，持续26天。用Basso Beattle Bresnahan运动评分量表（BBB）评估神经功能。在创伤性SCI后测定脊髓的含水量。使用商业试剂盒测定血清中的NF-κB p65亚基、TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6，以及脊髓组织中的凋亡标志物caspase-3。分别通过蛋白质印迹法和商业试剂盒检测诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）的蛋白水平和活性。通过测定亚硝酸盐浓度评估一氧化氮（NO）的产生。SCI大鼠的BBB评分显著降低，同时脊髓含水量、NF-κB p65亚基、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、iNOS、NO产生和caspase-3增加。然而，补充CH显著促进了SCI大鼠神经功能的恢复，并抑制了炎症因子以及iNOS途径。我们的研究结果表明，CH改善了大鼠SCI后的神经功能，这可能与抑制炎症和iNOS途径有关。
