Effect of extract of Trillium tschonoskii Maxim on ciliary neurotropic factor and its receptor α in rats suffering from spinal cord injury
10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2015.08.04
- Author:
Xian-Bing CHEN
1
Author Information
1. Key Laboratory of Biologic Resource Protection and Utilization of Hubei Province
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Ciliary neurotrophic factor;
Spinal cord injuries;
Trillium tschonoskii
- From:
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army
2015;40(8):622-626
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effect of Trillium tschonoskii Maxim extract on the expression of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and its receptor (CNTFRα) after spinal cord injury in rats. Methods Forty-five rats were equally and randomly divided into control group (group A), model group (group B) and Trillium tschonoskii Maxim treated group (group C). Allen's weight drop method was used to reproduce acute spinal cord injury (SCI) model in rats of the group B and C. In group C, the rats were gavaged with Trillium tschonoskii Maxim extract 2 weeks before the injury, while rats in group A and B were fed a same quantity of distilled water.1, 7 or 14 days after injury, the rats were sacrificed to observe the structure of nerve cells after HE and Nissl staining, and the expression of CNTF and CNTFRα with immunohistochemical method, RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results HE staining showed that the structure of spinal cord in the the rats group C was more discernible, with milder edema and necrosis of nerve cells, as compared with that of group B. Nissl staining showed that Nissl bodies were decreased or disappeared in anterior horn motor neurons in both group B and C, but it was significantly less marked in group C than that in group B. Immunohistochemical staining, Western blotting and RT-PCR revealed that the protein and mRNA of CNTF and CNTFRα were positively expressed in rats of every group. The mRNA levels of CNTF and CNTFRα in group C were higher than those in group B. Conclusions Extract of Trillium tschonoskii Maxim can up-regulate the expression of CNTF and CNTFRα, and plays a protective role against injury to spinal cord.
