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Updated: May 10, 2026
A Contusion Model of Severe Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Published on: August 17, 2013
Effects of a novel herbal formulation JSK on acute spinal cord injury in rats
Caixin Su1, Donald Zhang, John Truong
1Department of Surgery Neurosurgery, Neuroscience and Neurobiology, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, HSC 4N51 Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
Purpose:
Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers multiple cellular and molecular pathways; therapy aimed at only one pathway is unlikely to succeed. Anecdotal reports indicate that a novel herbal formulation (JSK-Ji-Sui-Kang) may enhance recovery in humans with SCI. We investigated whether JSK's therapeutic effects could be verified in a well-established SCI model in rats.
Methods:
Therapeutic effects of JSK were tested using a standard behavioral assessment, histological, immunochemical and microarray analysis. Phytochemical fingerprinting of JSK was performed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. JSK or vehicle was gavaged to rats 24 hours after SCI and daily thereafter for 3 weeks.
Results:
Locomotor function significantly improved (n = 12; p < 0.05), tissue damage was reduced (p < 0.01; n = 6) and more axons and myelin were observed in JSK-treated compared with vehicle control animals. JSK significantly enhanced expression of neuroglobin, vascular endothelial growth factor and growth-associated protein 43, and reduced the expression of caspase 3, cyclooxygenase-2, RhoA (p < 0.05; n = 6) and fibrinogen (p < 0.01; n = 6). RNA microarray indicated that JSK altered transcription of genes involved in ischemic and inflammatory/immune responses and apoptosis (p < 0.05; n = 3).
Conclusions:
JSK appears to target multiple biochemical and cellular pathways to enhance functional recovery and improve outcomes of SCI. The results provide a basis for further investigation of JSK's effects following SCI.
