The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on fos expression in rat spinal cord neurons following spinal cord injury [Hiperbarik oksijen tedavisinin omurilik hasarı sonrası sıçan omurilik Nöronlarında fos ekspresyonuna etkisi]

Objectives: we investigated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (hbo) therapy on fos protein expression in spinal cord neurons in rats following spinal cord injury (sci). methods: rivlin and tator clip method was used to produce sci at t9-t11 in spraguedawley rats (n=16) divided into four groups. 1.control (sci,no hbo),2.preoperative hbo (hbo five days before sci),3.postoperative hbo (hbo just after sci for five days),4.pre- and postoperative hbo (hbo five days before sci and after sci for five days). rats received hbo at 2.80 ata 60 min daily. results: fos immunohistochemistry was used to localize neurons following sci and hbo therapy in spinal cord segments 1 cm proximal and 1 cm distal to sci. hbo applied preoperatively,postoperatively and pre- and postoperatively significantly increased fos expression in the spinal cord. the increase corresponded with the duration of hbo therapy. in all groups,fos expression was mostly in laminae 1-2,followed by 3-4,and 7-8. this is the first study showing the effect of hbo therapy on fos expression in rats with sci.conclusion: nitric oxide is involved in nociception. in this study,we expected a decrease in fos following hbo therapy in sci accordingly; however,this was not the case,suggesting the increase in fos is not related to pain,but possibly to mechanisms related to neuroprotection. © 2015,ege university press. all rights reserved.