Original Article

Spinal Cord (2008) 46, 39–44; doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3102057; published online 3 April 2007

Immunomodulatory effect of the purine nucleoside inosine following spinal cord contusion injury in rat

A C Conta1,3 and D J Stelzner1,2

  1. 1Neuroscience Program, College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
  2. 2Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse NY, USA

Correspondence: Dr DJ Stelzner, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Graduate Studies, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. E-mail: stelzned@upstate.edu

3Current address: Department Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 W. Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.

Received 1 December 2006; Revised 3 February 2007; Accepted 11 February 2007; Published online 3 April 2007.

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Abstract

Study design:

 

In vivo study using a moderate spinal cord contusion injury (SCI) model in adult rat.

Objective:

 

To assess the immunomodulatory effects of the purine nucleoside inosine on macrophage/microglia activation at and near the lesion site and in white matter areas remote from the injury epicenter.

Setting:

 

Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.

Methods:

 

Animals (N=56) were injured using a moderate SCI at T9–T10 spinal level and were divided into three groups, depending on treatment paradigm. Rats received either intraperitoneal or subcutaneous injections of inosine (N=28) or vehicle (N=28). Spinal cord tissue was processed for ED-1 immunoreactivity and the volume fraction of ED-1+ profiles was calculated using the Cavalieri method and unbiased stereology.

Results:

 

The volume fraction of ED-1+ profiles within gray and lateral white matter regions at and around the lesion site was significantly reduced only following a twice daily-6 week treatment course, compared with vehicle controls, and white matter areas remote from the lesion were unaffected by all inosine treatment paradigms.

Conclusions:

 

Continued subcutaneous delivery of inosine, beginning 15-min post-SCI and persisting throughout the survival period of 6 weeks exerted immunomodulatory effects at and around the lesion site.

Keywords:

inosine, contusion injury, macrophage/microglia, immunomodulatory, secondary damage

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