Hydrogen sulfide improves functional recovery in rat traumatic spinal cord injury model by inducing nuclear translocation of NF-E2-related factor 2

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an important gaseous messenger, is known to have neuroprotective effects in many neurological disorders. This study examined the neuroprotective effects and the associated mechanisms of H2S in the model Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). We found that H2S showed neuroprotective effects in SCI model rats, improved the symptoms of neurological impairment, reduced the secretion of inflammatory factors, nerve cell apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and oxidative stresses. Moreover, these effects were produced by activation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein. Our results suggest that H2S supplementation could be a potential therapeutic strategy to promote SCI recovery.