Nano PGE₁ promoted the recovery from spinal cord injury-induced motor dysfunction through its accumulation and sustained release

The effect of Nano PGE₁ (nanoparticles containing prostaglandin E₁) on spinal cord injury (SCI) was investigated in rat model. Nano PGE₁ significantly and dose-dependently promoted the recovery from SCI-induced motor dysfunction, and the potency of Nano PGE₁ was comparable with successive treatment of Lipo PGE₁, and was superior to single treatment of Lipo PGE₁.Distribution study revealed that Nano PGE₁ sustained longer in the blood. In the injured spinal cord, gradual accumulation and longer retention were observed. Lipo PGE₁ was also accumulated with time, but over 10 fold less. It should be noted that over 80 fold more of PGE₁ were detected in Nano PGE₁-treated injured spinal cord as compared with that in normal ones. Nano PGE₁-treated injured spinal cord had less lesion cavity with increased MBP expression. Also, HGF production significantly increased as compared with that of SCI control. These findings could lead to the conclusion that Nano PGE₁ had the therapeutic potential for SCI, which might be partly ascribed by the efficient distribution of Nano PGE₁ to the injured spinal cord. The sustained release of PGE₁ would have increased HGF production, and both would have promoted cell survival and endogenous repair.