TY - JOUR
T1 - Neuroprotective effects of almond skins in experimental spinal cord injury
AU - Mandalari, G.
AU - Genovese, T.
AU - Bisignano, C.
AU - Mazzon, E.
AU - Wickham, M. S J
AU - Di Paola, R.
AU - Bisignano, G.
AU - Cuzzocrea, S.
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Background & Aims: Functional deficits following spinal cord injury (SCI) arise from both mechanical injury and from secondary tissue reactions involving inflammation. Natural almond skins (NS) were tested to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects on an animal model of SCI. Methods: SCI was induced by the application of vascular clips to the dura via a four-level T5-T8 laminectomy. In the present study, to elucidate whether the protective effects of NS are related to the total phenolic content, we also investigated the effect of a blanched (BS) almond skins (industrially obtained by removing bran from the nut) in SCI. NS and BS (30 mg/kg respectively) were administered per os, 1 h and 6 h, after SCI. Results: SCI in mice resulted in severe injury characterized by edema, tissue damage, production of inflammatory mediators and apoptosis (measured by Bax, Bcl-2 and Tunel assay). NS treatment, 1 and 6 h after SCI, reduced all parameters of inflammation as neutrophil infiltration, NF-κB activation, PAR formation, iNOS expression and apoptosis. However, treatment with BS did not exert any protective effect. Conclusions: Our results suggest that NS treatment, reducing the development of inflammation and tissue injury, may be useful in the treatment of SCI.
AB - Background & Aims: Functional deficits following spinal cord injury (SCI) arise from both mechanical injury and from secondary tissue reactions involving inflammation. Natural almond skins (NS) were tested to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects on an animal model of SCI. Methods: SCI was induced by the application of vascular clips to the dura via a four-level T5-T8 laminectomy. In the present study, to elucidate whether the protective effects of NS are related to the total phenolic content, we also investigated the effect of a blanched (BS) almond skins (industrially obtained by removing bran from the nut) in SCI. NS and BS (30 mg/kg respectively) were administered per os, 1 h and 6 h, after SCI. Results: SCI in mice resulted in severe injury characterized by edema, tissue damage, production of inflammatory mediators and apoptosis (measured by Bax, Bcl-2 and Tunel assay). NS treatment, 1 and 6 h after SCI, reduced all parameters of inflammation as neutrophil infiltration, NF-κB activation, PAR formation, iNOS expression and apoptosis. However, treatment with BS did not exert any protective effect. Conclusions: Our results suggest that NS treatment, reducing the development of inflammation and tissue injury, may be useful in the treatment of SCI.
KW - Almond skins
KW - Apoptosis
KW - Inflammation
KW - Oxidative stress
KW - Trauma
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U2 - 10.1016/j.clnu.2010.08.002
DO - 10.1016/j.clnu.2010.08.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 20864228
AN - SCOPUS:79953047663
VL - 30
SP - 221
EP - 233
JO - Clinical Nutrition
JF - Clinical Nutrition
SN - 0261-5614
IS - 2
ER -