Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy after Mid-Cervical Spinal Contusion Injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is a recognized treatment for peripheral wounds and decompression sickness.
• Emerging evidence indicates HBO therapy's potential for neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory effects following neurological injuries, such as spinal cord injury (SCI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To perform a genome-wide screening of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression changes in the injured spinal cord following HBO therapy.
• To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying HBO's therapeutic effects in SCI.

Main Methods:

• Adult female rats with a lateralized mid-cervical contusion injury underwent daily HBO therapy (3.0 ATA, 100% O2) for 1 hour over 10 days.
• mRNA gene array analysis was conducted on spinal cord samples from the contused region.
• Gene set enrichment analysis identified affected biological pathways.
• Histological analysis assessed neuronal cell counts and inflammatory markers in a separate cohort.

Main Results:

• HBO therapy upregulated genes involved in electron transport, mitochondrial function, and oxidative phosphorylation.
• Conversely, HBO therapy downregulated genes associated with inflammation (cytokines, nuclear factor kappa B [NF-κB]) and apoptotic signaling.
• Histological examination revealed a significant increase in NeuN positive cells (a marker of neurons) in HBO-treated rats compared to controls (p=0.004).

Conclusions:

• Initiating HBO therapy shortly after SCI and continuing for 10 days significantly alters the molecular profile of the lesioned spinal cord.
• These molecular changes are consistent with a neuroprotective impact.
• HBO therapy demonstrates potential as a therapeutic strategy for managing spinal cord injury.