Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effects of the root extract of Dipsacus asperoides (Caprifoliaceae) on locomotor function and inflammation following spinal cord injury in rats

Peng Zhang¹, Faqi Cao², Qirong Dong³, Pingyuan Li¹, Zhaoyao Yang¹, Xiaoyong Liu¹, Lei Wang¹

¹Department of Orthopedics, Suzhou Science and Technology Town Hospital, Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215153, Jiangsu; ²Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, Hubei Province; ³Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, Jiangsu Province, China.

For correspondence:- Lei Wang Email: wanglei4584@hotmail.com Tel:+8651269588742

Received: 19 January 2017 Accepted: 17 May 2017 Published: 29 June 2017

Citation: Zhang P, Cao F, Dong Q, Li P, Yang Z, Liu X, et al. Effects of the root extract of Dipsacus asperoides (Caprifoliaceae) on locomotor function and inflammation following spinal cord injury in rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2017; 16(6):1377-1382 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v16i6.23

© 2017 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: The study was performed to determine the effect of Dipsacus asperoides (roots), commonly known as Xu Duan, on rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: All the animals were separated into 3 groups: normal control; a group that received Dipsacus asperoides treatment after spinal injury, and a group that received phosphate-buffered saline after SCI. These groups allowed for determination of the effect of Dipsacus asperoides treatment on SCI-injured rats. Evaluation of locomotor function restoration based on Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan score was carried out while expressions of I-kBα and NF-kB p65 were estimated. Evaluation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 levels was also carried by Western blotting and densitometry.

Results: The results showed that 10-mg/kg/day dose of Dipsacus asperoides restored locomotor function in rats after a period of 4 weeks. The treatment also decreased expressions of I-kBα, NF-kB p65 and Bax, but significantly increased expression of Bcl-2 (p < 0.01) in treated rats, compared to untreated rats.

Conclusion: The results indicate that treatment with Dipsacus asperoides extract effectively mitigates spinal cord injury by attenuating inflammation and apoptosis in SCI rats.

Keywords: Spinal cord injury, IKK-NFkB pathway, Bax, Bcl-2, Xu Duan, Apoptosis