Changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX, CAT) after experimental spinal cord injury.

We determined time dependent changes in the levels of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) at 1, 4 and 24 hours after standardized reversible spinal cord injury in rats. In each segment (rostral, lesion, caudal) enzyme activities at 1, 4 and 24 hours were not significantly different. Without time limitation we have found that SOD and GPx activities were not significantly different (p > 0.05), but CAT activity was significantly high (p = 0.008) in the lesion segment than the rostral and caudal segment. According to our results we suggest that one of the main reason for tissue damage during such a spinal cord trauma model may be neither H2O2 nor H2O2 derived radicals.