Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced systemic inflammatory response affects multiple organs outside the spinal cord. Treatment options for such complications are lacking. We studied the potential protective effects of resveratrol on SCI-induced inflammatory damage in rat lungs. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to weight-drop impact at the T10 vertebral level with administration of resveratrol (100 mg/kg) or vehicle (via the intraperitoneal route) immediately after trauma. Lung injury was studied by measuring: vascular permeability-related pulmonary edema; histopathologic scores, neutrophil infiltration and concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar fluid; expression of inflammatory enzymes and sirtuin (SIRT) 1 as well as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity in pulmonary tissues. Resveratrol treatment significantly alleviated SCI-induced pulmonary edema as indicated by the ratio of the wet weight to dry weight of lung tissue and pulmonary permeability index. Resveratrol significantly reduced neutrophil infiltration and production of inflammatory mediators. Resveratrol treatment was accompanied by up-regulation of expression of SIRT1 and suppression of NF-κB activity in pulmonary tissues. These data suggest that resveratrol may protect the lungs from SCI-induced inflammatory damage, and could be used as a therapeutic option against pulmonary problems after SCI.