Anti-inflammatory effect of Mongolian drug Naru-3 on traumatic spinal cord injury and its mechanism of action

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to confirm the anti-inflammatory effect of the Mongolian drug Naru-3 on traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) and its possible mechanism of action. METHODS: We prepared a TSCI model using Sprague–Dawley rats. The rats were divided into a Naru-3 group and a methylprednisolone group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were performed to measure the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were employed to detect serum inflammatory cytokine levels. The localization and expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in spinal cord tissue was determined by immunohistochemical analysis. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the ratio of M1- and M2-phenotype macrophages. The locomotor function recovery was evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score. RESULTS: Naru-3 significantly inhibited the inflammatory response and reduced the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in both spinal cord and blood in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that Naru-3 significantly reduced MCP-1 expression in spinal cord and promoted M2-phenotype macrophage differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Naru-3 is an effective treatment for impact-induced TSCI in rats. Naru-3 treatment affects inflammatory cytokine levels and macrophage differentiation, which play a role in TSCI remission.