Background: Neuroserpin (NSP) is a neuroprotective factor in the situation of ischemia of a brain, such as stroke. However, it has never been reported in the spinal cord, which is part of the central nervous system (CNS).
Methods: The expression of NSP was detected using Western blotting and neuron apoptosis detected by TUNEL staining following spinal cord ischemia caused by sustained compression in rats.
Results: The results showed that NSP was upregulated in the injury area of spinal cord, accompanied with the activation of micorglia and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which suggested that NSP also plays a neuroprotective role in spinal cord compression since neuronal apoptosis appears when NSP returns to normal levels or even lower.
Conclusions: NSP upregulates in early periods of sustained spinal cord compression.