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Oxidative Stress in the Spinal Cord of Dogs and Cats

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Studies on Veterinary Medicine

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Abstract

Oxidative stress in spinal cord disease is considered a secondary mechanism of injury following a primary traumatic event such as vertebral fracture or intervertebral disk protrusion (intervertebral disk disease). The primary spinal cord injury often results in decreased perfusion of the spinal cord due to compression from bone, disk, hematoma, or granuloma. This decreased blood flow to the cord, or ischemia, causes neutrophils, macrophages, and eosinophils to release reactive oxygen species among other inflammatory mediators. Oxidative enzymes are upregulated in the spinal cord following any injury and are a major source of oxidative damage for weeks by stimulating inflammatory cells to release more reactive oxygen species, perpetuating the cycle of oxidative damage. A multiarmed therapeutic approach may be needed in the treatment of spinal cord injury that encompasses all or at least several of the major mechanisms of injury, namely, glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, increased intracellular Ca2+, and oxidative stress. These mechanisms lead to cell death through a loss of energy production, damage to nucleic acids and proteins, and apoptosis. Experimentally and in clinical trials, corticosteroids and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) have had limited success. Other free radical scavengers such as derivatives of acetylsalicylic acid and sulfasalazine, or aldehyde free radical scavengers are currently being investigated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Small Animal Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331-4801, USA

    Wendy Baltzer

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  1. Wendy Baltzer
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Correspondence to Wendy Baltzer .

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  1. , Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Community Veterinary Hospital, Largo, 33770, Florida, USA

    Lester Mandelker

  2. Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine and Clin, Szent Istvan University, Istvan u. 2, Budapest, 1143, Hungary

    Peter Vajdovich

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Baltzer, W. (2011). Oxidative Stress in the Spinal Cord of Dogs and Cats. In: Mandelker, L., Vajdovich, P. (eds) Studies on Veterinary Medicine. Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-071-3_6

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