Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026
Spinal Cord Neurons Isolation and Culture from Neonatal Mice
Published on: July 11, 2017
Lipopolysaccharide-induced preconditioning protects against traumatic spinal cord injury by upregulating Nrf2
Weichao Li1, Dianming Jiang2, Qiuxia Li3
1Faculty of Medical Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China..
Aims:
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced preconditioning protects neurons against traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in rats. This study sought to test whether Nrf2, a transcription factor, mediated LPS-induced preconditioning.
Main Methods:
The TSCI model was established using a standardized NYU impactor on adult female rats. Rats were pretreated with LPS (0.2mg/kg, IP; 72h before injury). Nrf2 was silenced by injecting a lentivirus encoding RNAi against Nrf2 into injured spinal cords. Neurologic function was assessed by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scores 6h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, 7d and 14d after TSCI. Neuronal apoptosis was measured by a TUNEL staining. Ultrastructure was observed using transmission electron microscope (TEM). The protein expression of HO-1, NQO1 and GCLC was examined using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting.
Key Findings:
The injection of a lentivirus effectively transfected GFP into injured spinal cords. The expression of Nrf2 was significantly decreased in spinal cords receiving a lentivirus encoding RNAi against Nrf2. BBB scores showed that TSCI markedly impaired nervous function, which was markedly preserved by LPS pretreatment. Nrf2 knockdown significantly suppressed LPS pretreatment-induced protection of nervous function. TEM images and TUNEL staining showed an increase in apoptotic cells when Nrf2 was silenced. Moreover, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting analysis exhibited that LPS pretreatment significantly upregulated the expression of anti-oxidative proteins including HO-1, NQO1 and GCLC, which was suppressed when Nrf2 expression was silenced in injured spinal cords.
Significance:
LPS preconditioning effectively alleviates TSCI-induced impairment and preserves nervous function in a Nrf2-dependent manner.
More Related Videos
11:57Synergetic Use of Neural Precursor Cells and Self-assembling Peptides in Experimental Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: February 23, 2015
09:08A Neurosphere Assay to Evaluate Endogenous Neural Stem Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Minimal Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: September 13, 2018