The Neuroprotective Effect of Syringic Acid on Spinal Cord Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Inflammation. 2015 Oct;38(5):1969-78. doi: 10.1007/s10753-015-0177-2.

Abstract

Acute arterial occlusions via different vascular pathologies are the main causes of spinal cord ischemia. We investigated neuroprotective effects of syringic acid on spinal cord ischemia injury in rats. Rats were divided into four groups: (I) sham-operated control rats, (II) spinal cord ischemia group, (III) spinal cord ischemia group performed syringic acid, and (IV) spinal cord ischemia group performed methylprednisolone intraperitoneally. Spinal cord ischemia was performed by the infrarenal aorta cross-clamping model. The spinal cord was removed after the procedure. The biochemical and histopathological changes were observed within the samples. Functional assessment was performed for neurological deficit scores. A significant decrease was seen in malondialdehyde levels in group III as compared to group II (P < 0.05). Besides these, nuclear respiratory factor-1 and superoxide dismutase activity of group III were significantly higher than group II (P < 0.05). In histopathological samples, when group III was compared with group II, there was a significant decrease in numbers of apoptotic neurons (P < 0.05). In immunohistochemical staining, BECN1 and caspase-3-immunopositive neurons were significantly decreased in group III compared with group II (P < 0.05). The neurological deficit scores of group III were significantly higher than group II at twenty-fourth hour of ischemia (P < 0.05). Our study revealed that syringic acid pretreatment in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion reduced oxidative stress and neuronal degeneration as a neuroprotective agent. Ultrastructural studies are required for syringic acid to be developed as a promising therapeutic agent to be utilized for human spinal cord ischemia in the future.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gallic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Gallic Acid / pharmacology
  • Gallic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology
  • Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reperfusion Injury / drug therapy*
  • Reperfusion Injury / metabolism
  • Reperfusion Injury / pathology
  • Spinal Cord Ischemia / drug therapy*
  • Spinal Cord Ischemia / metabolism
  • Spinal Cord Ischemia / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Gallic Acid
  • syringic acid