Melatonin prevents blood vessel loss and neurological impairment induced by spinal cord injury in rats

This study investigates the potential protective effects of melatonin on blood vessel loss and neurological impairment following spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. SCI often leads to progressive tissue loss due to blood vessel dysfunction and inflammation. The researchers aimed to determine if melatonin could mitigate these damages. The researchers divided rats into three groups: a sham group (no injury), an SCI group (spinal cord injury), and a melatonin group (spinal cord injury treated with melatonin). They assessed blood vessel density, blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability, neuron count, and levels of proteins related to neurological plasticity. The study found that melatonin treatment helped rescue blood vessels, reduce BSCB permeability, increase neuron count, and partially prevent the reduction of key proteins (BDNF, synapsin I, GAP-43) associated with neurological plasticity in both the spinal cord and hippocampus. These findings suggest melatonin has a neuroprotective effect after SCI.

• 1
  Melatonin treatment rescued blood vessels, as indicated by increased CD31 levels and ameliorated BSCB permeability at 7 days post-injury.
• 2
  Melatonin significantly increased the number of neurons and the expression of Nissl bodies in neurons at the injury epicenter.
• 3
  SCI reduced levels of BDNF, synapsin I, and GAP-43 in the spinal cord and hippocampus, and melatonin treatment partially prevented these reductions.