engleski

Trauma-induced Release of Free Fatty Acids in Injured Spinal Cord

Traumatic injury of the spinal cord leads to a series of pathological events that result in tissue necrosis and paralysis. Among the earliest biochemical reactions are hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids, release of fatty acids, production of biologically active eicosanoids, and peroxidation of lipids. In rabbits, medial dorsal lumbar laminectomy was performed under pentobarbital sodium anaesthesia. In some animals laminectomy was followed by contusion of the spinal cord, provoked by a strike of 150 g-cm by using modified technique of Albin. Spinal cord samples from the impact injury site were taken and frozen in liquid nitrogen. For the isolation and purification of total lipids modified method by Folch was used. The free fatty acids (FFAs) were separated from the total lipid extract by preparative thin-layer chromatography. Free fatty acids, in the form of the corresponding methyl esters, were identified using gas chromatography. The quantification was done using the internal standard. The level of all analyzed free fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic) was increased in the spinal cord of experimental animals after neurotrauma. The results show that the accumulation of FFAs, especially arachidonic acid, a precursor of prostaglandins and leukotrienes, is a possible indicator of nervous cell damage.

free fatty acids; spinal cord injury; rabbit

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