The Neuroprotective Effect of Kefir on Spinal Cord Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.
10.3340/jkns.2015.57.5.335
- Author:
Mustafa GUVEN
1
;
Tarik AKMAN
;
Ali Umit YENER
;
Muserref Hilal SEHITOGLU
;
Yasemin YUKSEL
;
Murat COSAR
Author Information
1. Department of Neurosurgery, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey. drmustafaguven@comu.edu.tr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Spinal cord ischemia;
Cultured milk products;
Reperfusion injury
- MeSH:
Animals;
Aorta;
Caspase 3;
Catalase;
Cultured Milk Products*;
Diet;
Humans;
Ischemia;
Malondialdehyde;
Neurons;
Neuroprotective Agents*;
Oxidative Stress;
Pathology;
Rats*;
Reperfusion Injury;
Spinal Cord Ischemia;
Spinal Cord*;
Superoxide Dismutase
- From:Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
2015;57(5):335-341
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The main causes of spinal cord ischemia are a variety of vascular pathologies causing acute arterial occlusions. We investigated neuroprotective effects of kefir on spinal cord ischemia injury in rats. METHODS: Rats were divided into three groups : 1) sham operated control rats; 2) spinal cord ischemia group fed on a standard diet without kefir pretreatment; and 3) spinal cord ischemia group fed on a standard diet plus kefir. Spinal cord ischemia was performed by the infrarenal aorta cross-clamping model. The spinal cord was removed after the procedure. The biochemical and histopathological changes were observed within the samples. Functional assessment was performed for neurological deficit scores. RESULTS: The kefir group was compared with the ischemia group, a significant decrease in malondialdehyde levels was observed (p<0.05). Catalase and superoxide dismutase levels of the kefir group were significantly higher than ischemia group (p<0.05). In histopathological samples, the kefir group is compared with ischemia group, there was a significant decrease in numbers of dead and degenerated neurons (p<0.05). In immunohistochemical staining, hipoxia-inducible factor-1alpha and caspase 3 immunopositive neurons were significantly decreased in kefir group compared with ischemia group (p<0.05). The neurological deficit scores of kefir group were significantly higher than ischemia group at 24 h (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that kefir pretreatment in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion reduced oxidative stress and neuronal degeneration as a neuroprotective agent. Ultrastructural studies are required in order for kefir to be developed as a promising therapeutic agent to be utilized for human spinal cord ischemia in the future.
