Expression and significance of early apoptosis in spinal cord injury

Objective: To observe the changes in the expression of apoptosis regulating gene Bcl-2 and Bax at different time points after acute spinal cord injury.Methods:We randomly divided 56 Wistar rats into 7 groups.we made six groups of the 7 groups as acute spinal cord injury model,the other group was used as control.We evaluated motor capacity at 0h,4h,8h,24h,48h and 72h after injury.The spinal cord was taken and after the HE staining and TUNEL staining,the immunohisto-chemistry methods were used to study the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.Results:After acute spinal cord injury,the motor capacity decreased.TUNEL-positive cells were found at 4h after injury,with a maximum presence at 8h after injury.At 24h after injury,the positive expression of Bcl-2 was maximal,and the positive expression of Bax was maximal at 8h after injury.Conclusion:In addition to necrosis,apoptosis phenomenon presents in rats spinal cord injury.The proportion of Bcl-2 and Bax in cells may influence upon apoptosis and pathological processes after spinal cord injury.