Neuroprotective effects of the Buyang Huanwu decoction on functional recovery in rats following spinal cord injury

Background: The Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD) is a traditional Chinese herbal prescription and has been used in China to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) for hundreds of years. Clinical trials have shown that BYHWD improves the outcome of SCI in clinical trials, but the mechanisms are not known. This study observed the neuroprotective effects of BYHWD on spinal nerve cells after SCI and investigated possible mechanisms. Materials and methods: Forty female Wistar rats were randomized equally to four groups treated by sham injury, SCI, BYHWD, or methylprednisolone (MP). The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate hind-limb locomotor function. Neuron apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression were evaluated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Results: In the sham group, walking was mildly abnormal after anesthesia but recovered completely in 2 days. The BBB score in the SCI model group was significantly different from that in the sham group. The BBB scores of rats in both the BYHWD and MP groups were significantly higher than scores of rats in the SCI group. BYHWD had an antiapoptosis effect, as shown by significant decreases in expression of caspase-3 and Bax and increase in Bcl-2 expression. Conclusion: BYHWD treatment restored hind-limb motor function of rats with SCI. The neuroprotective effect of BYHWD was associated with modulation of the expression of apoptosis-related proteins.