Effect of ferulic acid on expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3,Beclin1,Bcl-2 and Bax in spinal cord injury rats / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of ferulic acid(FA)on motor function of rats with a spinal cord injury model(SCI)and its possible effects on expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3),Beclin1,Bcl-2 and Bax. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groupssham group,SCI group,FA(100 mg·kg-1,po)group. Rats were subjected to moderate contusion inju?ries using a vascular clip for 2 min to establish an SCI animal model beforfe they were given BBB scores and inclined plate scoring function test on 6 h,1,3,7 and 14 d after SCI. After the test,rats were sacrificed. Spinal cords were observed by hematoxylin eosin(HE)staining. Furthermore,the expressions of LC3,Beclin1,Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS Compared with the sham group,BBB scores and inclined plate function scores significantly decreased in model group. The BBB scores decreased from 21 in sham group to(0.5±0.5)in SCI group,and inclined plate function scores decreased from 70° in sham group to(5.8±2.0)° in SCI group. However,this was reversed by FA treatment. BBB scores and inclined plate function scores increased from 3.0 ± 1.7 to 6.2 ± 3.6(P<0.05)and from (13.3 ± 4.1)° to(26.7 ± 8.7)°(P<0.05)after FA was po given for 7 d,respectively. HE staining showed the gradual emergence of internal spinal cord edema,while the structural changes associated with spinal cord injury could be significantly reversed by administration of FA. Moreover,the expression of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰand Beclin1 was significantly increased in SCI 1 d group(P<0.01),but was decreased in 14 d group when compared with SCI 1 d group(P<0.05). The expression of Bcl-2 was increased in SCI 14 d group,and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was increased on 14 d after SCI(P<0.05). Compared with the SCI group,LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰand Beclin1 expression was increased in FA-treated 1 d group(P<0.05),Bcl-2 expression was increased in FA-treated 14 d group and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was significantly increased on 14 d after SCI(P<0.05). CONCLUSION FA has a therapeutic effect on SCI,which may be related to the impact of neuronal autophagy and apoptosis. Meanwhile,autophagy of SCI may be a process of gradual enhancement followed by weakening,and the anti-apoptosis effect may gradually increase with autophagy.