Supplement moderate zinc as an effective treatment for spinal cord injury

Abstract

Spinal cord repair is a challenging task that has puzzled clinical specialists and scientists for a long time. Zinc plays an important role in regulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in nervous system, which can improve the pathological state of neurons and promote regeneration of injured neurons, reduce neuronal apoptosis. Our previous studies demonstrated that the serum zinc levels in SCI model group were significantly decreased and zinc concentrations in spinal cord were gradually increased in 24 h after SCI, which induces the up-regulation of zinc transporter 1 (ZnT-1). The mRNA levels of ZnT1 and BDNF were both increased after SCI, and there is a positive correlation between them. Excess zinc exposure has been proved to be a risk factor for neuron death in brain and spinal cord injuries, but supplement of the right amount of zinc may be useful in promoting the recovery of spinal cord function.