Neurotrophin Toxicity in Iron-Induced Experimental Spinal Cord Injury in Rat

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine neurotrophin effect in Fe++-induced experimental spinal cord injury in adult female rat. METHOD: Thirty Long-Evans rats (weight, 250 to 300 gr) were divided into 6 groups. Group I was control group. Group II was Fe-only group. Group III was NGF-only group. Group IV was NGF-Fe group. Group V was NT4-only group. Group VI was NT4-Fe group. For all experimental animals spinal cord was exposed by T10 laminectomy. Neurtrophin and Fe++ was injected at spinal cord directly by glass needle with ~100 um diameter mounted on Hamilton syringe. Animals were sacrificed, spinal cord was extracted and prepared in sagittal section. Tissues were stained with LFB, NeuN and APC staining method. The amount of spinal cord damage was measured at 3 different locations under the microscope. RESULTS: Fe-only group showed more damage than the control group. NGF-only group showed the same result as the control group. NT4-only group showed more damage than the control group in LFB staining. NGF-Fe group showed the same result as Fe-only group. NT4-Fe group showed more damage than Fe-only group. CONCLUSION: NGF has no additional effect, but NT4 potentiated Fe toxicity in Fe-induced experimental spinal cord injury. NT4 seems to be toxic to rat spinal cord in high dose.