Effect of sodium hydrosulphide after acute compression injury of spinal cord

Background: Early treatment of spinal cord white matter injury has been found beneficial. H2S, a neurotransmitter is neuroprotective at lower doses. Purpose: In the present study the effect of NaHS after clip compression injury of spinal cord white matter in vivo was studied. Methods: The injury was induced in 8-10 weeks old Wistar rats by exposing the spinal cord at T8-T10 level by laminectomy and applying 35 g clip for 1 min. A dose of 50 AM NaHS was given intraperitoneally after 1 h of injury. 0.5 mm Spinal cord tissues were collected 8 h after injury from both sides including epicenter and dorsal column was microdissected and used for further study. Results: NaHS treatment decreases nitric oxide (NO) by 27% and lipid peroxide (LPO) by 18% as compared to injury, which are hallmark of attenuation in oxidative stress. Western blots shows significant changes in Myeloperoxidase (MPO) level went down by 10%. GSH contents increased 44% in treated group as compared to the injury group. NaHS treatment increased Nrf-2 expression 1.8 times. We found NaHS treatment reduced the GFAP expression 8%, there was no significant changes in NF-200 after treatment and no evident morphological changes with H and E staining. Conclusions: With the above data we conclude that NaHS at 50 mu M dose at 1 h after injury reduces the NO, LPO, GFAP and MPO level at injury site by increasing the expression of Nrf-2. We expect that a decrease in these parameters during acute phase of spinal cord injury would be helpful in neuroprotection and regeneration. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.