OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and mechanism of Buyanghuanwu decoction on platelet activating factor expression in spinal cord tissue of model of acute upper cervical spinal cord injury in rats.

METHODSSixty SPF grade 3-month-old female Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, methylprednisolone group and Buyanghuanwu decoction (Traditional Chinese Medicine group, TCM), with 15 rats in each group. The first day after the modeling, the methylprednisolone group were treated by injection of the tail vein for a total of 24 h, the first dose of 30 mg/kg, followed by a dose of 5.4 mg/kg·h, and 1 time per 4 h. The traditional Chinese medicine group was prepared with a medium dose of Buyanghuanwu decoction granules which were prepared into a solution containing 2 g/ml of granules, 3.5 g/kg per day gavage, was equivalent to 1 time the amount of adult consumption. The model group and the sham operation group were given equal volume of normal saline for 2 times a day for 2 weeks. The recovery of nerve function was evaluated by BBB classification at 1, 3, 7, 14 days after treatment. The expression of PAF in the segment of spinal cord injury was detected by double antibody sandwich (ELISA) method at 1, 7, and 14 d postoperatively.

RESULTSAt the first day after treatment, BBB score in model, TCM and methylprednisolone groups were lower than that of sham operation group(<0.01), but there was no difference among the three groups(>0.05). At 7, 14 days afer treatment, BBB score in TCM and methylprednisolone groups were higher than that of model group significantly(<0.01); but there were no significant difference between TCM group and methylprednisolone group(>0.05). PAF expression in TCM group and methylprednisolone group were lower than that of model group at 7, 14 day afer treatment significantly (<0.05); but there were no significant difference between TCM group and methylprednisolone group (>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBuyanghuanwu decoction treatment after acute upper cervical spinal cord injury can significantly improve locomotor recovery by inhibiting the expression of PAF.