Background: To seek the potential therapy for spinal cord injury, Ferrostatin-1, the first ferroptosis inhibitor, was administrated in spinal cord injury mice to identify the therapeutic effect.
Methods: Spinal cord injury model was established by a modified Allen's method. Then, ferrostatin-1 was administrated by intraspinal injection. Cortical evoked motor potential and BMS were indicated to assess the neurological function rehabilitation. H&E, Nissl's staining, NeuN, and GFAP immunofluorescence were used to identify the histological manifestation on the mice with the injured spinal cord. Spinosin, a selective small molecule activator of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, was administrated to verify the underlying mechanism of ferrostatin-1.
Results: Ferrostatin-1 promoted the rehabilitation of cortical evoked motor potential and BMS scores, synchronized with improvement in the histological manifestation of neuron survival and scar formation. Spinosin disturbed the benefits of ferrostatin-1 administration on histological and neurobehavioral manifestation by deranging the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
Conclusions: Ferrostatin-1 improved the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury mice by regulating ferroptosis through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
Keywords: Ferroptosis; Ferrostatin-1; Neurological functional rehabilitation; Nrf2/HO-1; Spinal cord injury.
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