Protective effect of erythropoietin on spinal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Our study aimed at investigating the protective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on the spinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in a murine model and exploring the potential mechanism. Adult male mice were subjected to spinal IR injury. The aortic arch and proximal left sub-clavianarteries were obstructed by clamping for 5 min and the animals were monitored for 48 h. The neurological function of hind limb was assessed every 12 h. In the experimental group rats (n=7) were treated with EPO 4 h pre-operation. In the IR group (n=7), no EPO treatment was administered, while in the sham group, no arteries were clamped (n=6). Forty-eight hours after IR injury, thoraco-lumbar spinal cord was collected for histological analysis. The results showed that in the experimental group, the neurological function was significantly protected. Two days after injury, the rats which did not receive treatment were used for analysis. The neurological function of hind limb improved in three rats, but was not evaluated after injury. Histological examination showed that EPO treatment markedly compromised the damage to neurons. The study concluded that EPO can protect the spinal cord against IR injuries and preserve neuron phenotype.   Key words: Erythropoietin, Spinal cord, ischemia-reperfusion injury, protective effect, mechanism.