ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of exogenous bcl-2 on spinal cord motoneurons following sciatic nerve axotomy. After epineurium suturing, sense bcl-2 (Ad/s-bcl-2), antisense bcl-2 (Ad/as-bcl-2), or reporter gene lacZ (Ad/lacZ) recombinant adenovirus or NS was injected into the sciatic nerve 0.5 cm distant from the sutured point respectively in different groups. The rats were transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde on postoperative 48 h, 7 d, 15 d and 30 d respectively and the spinal cords of L4 to L6 were harvested. X-gal staining, bcl-2 in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining, TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling) staining and AChE (acetyl cholinesterase) histochemical staining were used. We observed that the exogenous lacZ gene was expressed in the spinal cord of Ad/lacZ group, and sense bcl-2 significantly decreased the number of apoptotic motoneurons and the decreasing degree of AChE activity of the motoneurons in the spinal cord induced by sciatic nerve axotomy and accelerate AChE activity recovery. However, antisense bcl-2 increased the number of apoptotic motoneurons and the decreasing degree of AChE activity of the motoneurons in the spinal cord induced by sciatic nerve axotomy and prolonged AChE activity recovery. These results demonstrate that exogenous bcl-2 may protect motor neurons from injury induced by peripheral nerve axotomy.