The effect of melatonin on GADD153/CHOP protein expression of acute spinal cord injury rat model

Objective To explore the effect of melatonin on the expression of GADD153/CHOP of acute spinal cord injury rat model. Methods Ninety-six healthy SD rats were selected and randomly divided into normal saline treatment group (NS group), ethanol treatment group (ET group) and melatonin treatment group (MT group). All rats were modeled by modified Allen's legal system, and that of MT group was given melatonin for treatment on the basis of the modeling, while that of ET group was given equal dose of 5% ethanol and that of NS group was given equal dose of normal saline. 8 rats of each group were selected and reached respectively 3 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d after injury which Tarlov scores were evaluated to assess the nerve function. Tarlov scores after death, damage to the segmental spinal cord line HE staining and immunohistochemical staining, and observed the morphological changes and the characteristics of CHOP expression; And TUNEL method was applied to detection of nerve cell apoptosis. The amount assessed by mike audi digital medical image analysis system (Motic. med 6.0) software, result with cumulative optical density (integrated optical density, IOD) and apoptosis index (AI). Results All experimental rats spinal cord tissue had different degree of hemorrhage, edema, apoptosis and necrosis. MT group Tarlov scores in addition to the 3 h time points, Tarlov scores were significantly higher than other time points in ET group and NS group, and the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05 or P 0.01). MT group with ET group, NS group at different time points difference CHOP expression, cell apoptosis, expression was in addition to the 3 h time points, every other point in time in MT group, the CHOP expression and apoptosis of treatment group were significantly lower than the rest of the two groups (P 0.05). And the each CHOP expression, cell apoptosis and temporal between ET group, NS group was compared, the difference was not significant (P 0.05). Conclusion The melatonin can improve the neural function and has protective effect on acute spinal cord injury which may related to its inhibit funtion on CHOP expression and apoptosis of spinal cord.