Neuroprotective effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on hemisection-induced spinal cord injury in rats

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 6; no. 6; pp. 405 - 411
• Main Author: Fengjun Deng Rubing Li Yingbao Yang Dan Zhou Qian Wang Jiangping Xu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hunan Yiyang Medical College, Yiyang 413000, Hunan Province, China%Pharmaceutical Preparation Section, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA, Guangzhou 510010, Guangdong Province,China%Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China%Pingxiang Healthy School, Pingxiang 337000, Jiangxi Province, China 25-02-2011
• Subjects: 儿茶素; 急性脊髓损伤; 没食子酸; 神经保护作用; 细胞凋亡相关基因; 细胞间粘附分子-1; 超氧化物歧化酶; spinal cord injury; epigallocatechin-3-gallate; apoptosis; inflammation; neuroprotective effect; oxidative stress
• ISSN: 1673-5374
• DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2011.06.001

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate （EGCG）, a naturally occurring compound in green tea, has been widely used as an antioxidant agent. In the present study, model rats with acute spinal cord injury were intraperitoneally injected with 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg EGCG, and spinal cord ultrastructure, oxidative stress reaction, inflammatory factors, and apoptosis-associated gene expression were observed. Results showed that EGCG attenuated neuronal and axonal injury 24 hours post injury. It also decreased serum intedeukin-113, tumor necrosis factor-a, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 release, and decreased apoptosis-associated gene expression. Furthermore, it increased the level of the superoxide anion （O2-）, superoxide dismutase, and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2, and reduced malondialdehyde levels. Furthermore, it reduced the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax. Noticeably, EGCG at the 100 mg/kg dosage exhibited similar effects as methylprednisolone sodium succinate, which has been frequently used for clinical acute spinal cord injury. The results demonstrated that EGCG can significantly inhibit inflammation, suppress oxidation, and reduce apoptosis in acute spinal cord injury.