Propofol has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects on the injured spinal cord.However,the effect of propofol on the blood-spinal cord barrier(BSCB) after ischemia/reperfusion injury(IRI) is poorly understood.Therefore,we investigated whether propofol could maintain the integrity of the BSCB.Spinal cord IRI(SCIRI) was induced in rabbits by infrarenal aortic occlusion for 30 minutes.Propofol,30 mg/kg,was intravenously infused 10 minutes before aortic clamping as well as at the onset of reperfusion.Then,48 hours later,we performed histological and m RNA/protein analyses of the spinal cord.Propofol decreased histological damage to the spinal cord,attenuated the reduction in BSCB permeability,downregulated the m RNA and protein expression levels of matrix metalloprotease-9(MMP-9) and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),and upregulated the protein expression levels of occludin and claudin-5.Our findings suggest that propofol helps maintain BSCB integrity after SCIRI by reducing MMP-9 expression,by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway,and by maintaining expression of tight junction proteins.
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