Triptolide Attenuates the Damage Caused by Secondary Injury After Primary Mechanical Injury in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Rats Models

摘要

In this study we tried to explore the therapeutic potential of triptolide (TPL), a traditional Chinese medicinal compound, in rat models after the induction of traumatic spinal cord injury. Three main groups (n = 15) of rats were used named as SCI (where only spinal cord injury was induced and no treatment was done), sham control (where only laminectomy was performed), and TPL/SCI group (where injured rats were treated with 5 mg/kg/day intraperitoneal triptolide injection. A study of IKK/NF-kappaB pathway was performed by studying the expression of IKB-alpha and phospho NF-kB through western blotting. MPO activity was explored to study the effect of this compound on infiltration of neutrophiles to the injury site. TUNEL assay was performed to study the possible antiapoptotic properties of TPL and the effect on expression of proinflammatory cytokines was also studied. A statistical analysis was performed where p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. A positive inhibition of IKK/NF-kappaB pathway, decreased MPO activity, less number of apoptotic cells and decreased expression of proinflammatory cytokines was observed in group of rats treated with Triptolide compared to untreated group. It concluded that secondary injury attenuates after primary mechanical injury in rat models by the use of triptolide.