Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides neuroprotection following spinal cord injury in a rat model

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to secondary damage due to various factors, including nitric oxide (NO). This study investigates if hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can protect the spinal cord after injury in rats. The study looked at the iNOS mRNA-iNOS-NO pathway, which is linked to spinal cord injury. The goal was to see if HBOT could influence this pathway and provide neuroprotection. Rats with SCI were treated with HBOT. The study then assessed their motor skills, spinal cord pathology, and levels of iNOS and NO to determine if HBOT had a protective effect.

• 1
  Rats treated with HBOT after SCI showed improved motor function compared to those without HBOT. This was measured using the BBB scoring system and motor evoked potential (MEP).
• 2
  Pathological examination of spinal cord tissue revealed that HBOT helped preserve tissue structure and reduce damage compared to the SCI group.
• 3
  HBOT reduced the mRNA and protein expression of iNOS in the spinal cord, as well as the serum NO content, suggesting a link between HBOT's neuroprotective effects and the iNOS mRNA-iNOS-NO signaling pathway.