The protection of acute spinal cord injury by subarachnoid space injection of Danshen in animal models.

Context/objective: Following acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) in rabbits, subarachnoid space injection of Danshen was performed to protect the neurological damage. In this study, we established rabbit models of spinal cord injury using a modified Allen's method.

Design: After the operation introducing the injuries, the rabbits were randomized into two different groups, control group (normal saline, NS) and Danshen, a component extracted from Chinese herb, treatment group. Each rabbit was supplied with either the drug or placebo at 0.3 ml/kg each day through subarachnoid cavity.

Setting: Rabbit model of acute spinal cord injury were used for the response to Danshen treatment.

Participants: Total 48 Chinese rabbits aged four∼ five months old provided by Experimental Animal Center of Hubei Province were used for this study.

Interventions: Danshen drug or placebo was administered via a silicon tube embedded under the spinal dura mater to administer the drugs into subarachnoid cavity.

Outcome Measures: After the treatment, damage indicators including cell apoptosis, morphological changes and oxidative damages were assessed.

Results: We found out that cell apoptosis was decreased after Danshen injection as determined by downregulation of apoptosis index (AI) by TUNEL analysis as well as propidium iodide (PI) percentage by FACS analysis. In the meanwhile, we observed cells after the treatment have increased numbers of BCL-2 positive cells, this indicated the antiapoptotic gene expression is increased after Danshen treatment. When we check the oxidative damage indicators, we found superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased and malondiadehyde (MDA) levels were decreased after the treatment.

Conclusion: Danshen can protect ASCI through inhibition of oxidative damage in the injured cells and thus reduce the subsequent cell apoptosis in the spinal.