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Nitric oxide synthase gene expression in injured spinal cord tissue
Chenglong Liu1, Anmin Jin, Chusong Zhou
1Department of Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, the First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
Objective:
To investigate gene expression of three nitric oxide synthase isozymes in injured spinal cord tissue.
Methods:
Thirty-six adult SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: a normal group and five injury groups, with six per each group. Animals in the injury groups were sacrificed at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 h after injury. A compression injury model on the spinal cord was made according to Nystrom B et al and gene expression of the three NOS isozymes were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results:
Gene expression of nNOS and eNOS were detectable in the normal group and were up-regulated quickly after injury, reaching a maximum at 6 h: (0.633 +/- 0.012) and (1.236 +/- 0.207). Gene expression of iNOS was detectable only in the injury groups and it was gradually up-regulated after injury, reaching a maximum at 24 h: (1.043 +/- 0.049).
Conclusion:
Injury to the spinal cord leads to early up-regulation of cNOS and late up-regulation of iNOS. Different NOS isozymes may play different roles in secondary spinal cord injury.