Protective effects of Naringin in a rat model of spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury

Purpose: To evaluate the activity of naringin (NAR) in a rat model of spinal cord ischemic injury (SCII). Methods: Forty female rats were randomized into four groups: saline without occlusion (control; group I), SCII (group II), 50 mg/kg NAR (group III), or 100 mg/kg NAR (group IV) for 7 days prior to SCI insult (pre-treatment). Neurological and locomotor functions, antioxidant activity, edema and inflammatory markers were determined. Results: Pre-treatment with NAR considerably lowered the incidence of spinal edema, lipid peroxidation products, and inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha, NF-p65, IL-1 beta, and IL-6). It also successfully reverted the antioxidative activity to near-normal levels and improved locomotor function by protecting spinal tissue from oxidative damage and inflammatory insults. NAR administration effectively downregulated the protein expression of TNF-alpha and NF-kappa B p65 subunit in spinal tissue, thus confirming its anti-inflammatory activity. Conclusion: The results suggests that NAR exhibits neuroprotective effects by inhibiting free radical generation and downregulating inflammatory markers in an SCI rat model.