Baicalin had
neuroprotective effects on inhibiting neuronal cell apoptosis induced by spinal cord ischemic injury. This study aimed to explore the protective effects of
Baicalin on rats with
spinal cord injury (SCI) and its mechanism of action. The recovery of spinal cord nerve function in rats was evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score and the combine behavioral score (CBS). The expressions of
cytokines tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and
IL-6 were detected by the
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay method. Expressions of
inflammation-related
proteins were detected by Western blot. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed for serum metabolites. The BBB and CBS score results showed that
Baicalin had a certain improvement on rats with SCI. SCI symptoms were significantly improved in low-dose and high-dose groups. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and
IL-6 in the SCI group were significantly increased. The expressions of NF-κB p65, NF-κB p50, p-IκBα, and IKKα in the SCI group showed the opposite trend compared with the low-dose and high-dose groups. Compared with the
sham group,
glutamine, levels of 3-OH-butyrate,
N-acetylaspartate, and
glutathione were significantly reduced, and the levels of
glutamate and
betaine were significantly increased in the SCI group. When
Baicalin was administered, the contents of
glutamine synthase (GS) and
glutaminase (GLS) were significantly reduced, indicating that
Baicalin had the effect of improving GS and GLS.
Baicalin has protective effects on improving SCI and lower extremity motor function, has a significant anti-inflammatory effect, and regulates the serum metabolic disorder caused by SCI in rats.