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Bog Bilberry Anthocyanin Extract Improves Motor Functional Recovery by Multifaceted Effects in Spinal Cord Injury

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficiency of bog bilberry anthocyanin extract (BBAE) treatment starting 1 d after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats and to investigate the underlying mechanism. The BBAE contained cyanidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-galactoside and malvidin-3-glucoside. SCI models were induced using the weight-drop method in Sprague–Dawley rats and additionally with sham group (laminectomy only). The animals were divided into four groups: vehicle-treated group; 10 mg/kg BBAE-treated group; 20 mg/kg BBAE-treated group; sham group. BBAE-treated or vehicle-treated group was administered orally at one day after SCI and then daily for 8 weeks. Locomotor functional recovery was assessed during the 8 weeks post operation period by performing a Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor score test. At the end of study, the animals were killed, and 1.5 cm segments of spinal cord encompassing the injury site were removed for immunohistochemistry, histopathological and western blotting analysis. Immunohistochemistry for GFAP, aggrecan, neurocan and NeuN was used to assess the degree of astrocytic glial scar formation and neuron survival. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting analysis for TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β was used to evaluate the anti-inflammation effect of BBAE. To evaluate its inhibition effect on the astrocytes, we performed the MTT assay and immunohistochemistry for Ki67 in vitro. Results show that the BBAE-treated animals showed significantly better locomotor functional recovery, neuron death and smaller glial scar formation after spinal cord injury in vivo. In addition, BBAE administration could inhibit astrocyte proliferation in vivo and vitro. Therefore, BBAE may be useful as a promising therapeutic agent for SCI.

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Abbreviations

BBAE:

Bog bilberry anthocyanin extract

GFAP:

Glial fibrillary acidic protein

SCI:

Spinal cord injury

LFB staining:

Luxol fast blue staining

BBB locomotor score:

Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor score

CSPGs:

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants to Professor Hao Jing from the China Agricultural University and the Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 58441-06).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Rd, Haidian, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China

    Jun Wang, Chuan Ma, Wei Rong, Xing Hu, Xiaoguang Liu, Liang Jiang, Feng Wei & Zhongjun Liu

  2. College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Nr 17 Qinghua East Rd., Beijing, 100083, China

    Hao Jing

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  1. Jun Wang
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Correspondence to Feng Wei or Zhongjun Liu.

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Wang, J., Ma, C., Rong, W. et al. Bog Bilberry Anthocyanin Extract Improves Motor Functional Recovery by Multifaceted Effects in Spinal Cord Injury. Neurochem Res 37, 2814–2825 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0883-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-012-0883-1

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