LAUSR

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