Protective effect of puerarin on the secondary spinal cord injury in rats

OBJECTIVE: To research the protective effect of puerarin on secondary spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. METHODS: After the models of SCI were established by improved Allen's method on adult male SD rats, SOD, MDA, Bcl-2 and Bax gene protein expression between puerarin group and model group were compared after 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h. RESULTS: Puerarin could significantly enhance the activity of SOD and reduce the content of MDA, increase the expression of Bcl-2 gene protein products and decrease Bax gene protein product. CONCLUSIONS: Puerarin can increase the activity of SOD, reduce the content of MDA, promote the expession of Bcl-2 and restrain the expression of Bax in the early spinal cord injury. It has protective effect on the secondary spinal cord injury.