Objective To observe the effect of Proanthocyanidin on motor after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. Methods 36 healthy adult SD rats were divided into groups A, B and C (n=12), and SCI was induced with Allen's mode (250 g·mm) on T9. Proanthocyanidin 40 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally for group A, methylprednisolone (MP) 30 mg/kg for group B and the same volume of saline for group C 30 min after SCI. 1 d, 3 d and 7 d after operation, all the rats were assessed with Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale and slanting board test, and their serumal malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected. Results The scores of BBB and the slanting board test imporoved more in group A and group B than in group C (P<0.05). The SOD increased and MDA decreased in groups A and B significantly 1 d and 3 d after operation compared with those of group C (P<0.05), and only in group A 7 d after operation (P<0.05). Conclusion Proanthocyanidin may inhibit the lipid peroxidation and promote the recovery of motor after spinal cord injury in rats.

Objective To observe the effect of proanthocyanidin on the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-кB) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods 36 healthy adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into proanthocyanidin treatment group (group A, n=12), methylprednisolone (MP) treatment group (group B, n=12) and model control group (group C, n=12). Allen's method was used to establish the model of acute spinal cord injury in T9. On the 1st, 3rd and 7th days after operation, 4 rats in each group were assessed with Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale and Slanting Board Test (SBT), and the expression of NF-кB and IL-6 of the spinal cord were detected with immunohistochemistry. Results The scores of BBB and SBT were better in groups A and B than in the group C 3 and 7 days after SCI (P<0.05). Compared with group C, the expression of NF-кB in group A decreased all the time after SCI (P<0.01), and 3 and 7 days after SCI in group B (P<0.01); while the expression of IL-6 decreased all the time after SCI in groups A and B (P<0.05). Conclusion Proanthocyanidin may inhibit the expression of NF-кB and IL-6 in spinal cord after SCI in order to reduce inflammation and improve the hindlimb motor function in rats after SCI.