Acute spinal cord injury: protective role of oroxylin A/neural cell regeneration

crossMark

Received June 11, 2017; Accepted October 30, 2017; Published December 12, 2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.18081/2333-5106/015-06/354-368

Emiko Potácová, Shuolin Tsai, Qian Wang, Choi Xingquan, Liping Liu, Yongjun Lee

Abstract

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with cellular and molecular pathological processes responsible for secondary injury progression and neuron damage, disability, and paralysis. This cascade involves oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, excessive release of neurotransmitters, inflammation, and apoptosis. Neuroinflammation is the consequence of an injury, aiming to clear cellular debris. However, prolonged neuroinflammation contributes to the secondary injury cascade and exacerbates neuronal death. he efficacy of Oroxylin A as a neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agent in the context of acute spinal cord injury was investigated in vivo using a rat model. The study employed the weight-drop method to induce acute spinal cord injury at the Th10 vertebral level, followed by treatment with Oroxylin A. The results demonstrated that Oroxylin A treatment significantly reduced spinal cord tissue damage, alleviated edema, and preserved motor function. To confirm these findings, western blotting analysis was conducted to evaluate the expression levels of inflammation-related proteins and proteins associated with neuronal apoptosis and axonal regeneration. The administration of Oroxylin A following spinal cord injury effectively inhibited the activation of the NF-κB inflammatory pathway, decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduced the activation of caspase-3. Additionally, Oroxylin A treatment promoted the expression of neural growth-associated protein GAP-43 and the phosphorylation of AKT, leading to the activation of the PKB/AKT/GSK3β pathway and the promotion of neural cell regeneration and axon growth. In conclusion, using a novel “in vitro dentate gyrus-hippocampus” co-culture model and wide-field fluorescence imaging, this study has uncovered the communication between dentate gyrus NPCs and hippocampal astrogliosis, offering a platform to explore the therapeutic potential of bioactive molecules. Past mouse experiments demonstrate that OA is an attractive candidate for further development and offers hope for SCI treatment strategies.

Keywords: Oroxylin A; Spinal cord injury; Neurological evaluation; Surgical intervention


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