Issue 18, 2024

Tetramethylpyrazine-loaded electroconductive hydrogels promote tissue repair after spinal cord injury by protecting the blood–spinal cord barrier and neurons

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) usually induces profound microvascular dysfunction. It disrupts the integrity of the blood–spinal cord barrier (BSCB), which could trigger a cascade of secondary pathological events that manifest as neuronal apoptosis and axonal demyelination. These events can further lead to irreversible neurological impairments. Thus, reducing the permeability of the BSCB and maintaining its substructural integrity are essential to promote neuronal survival following SCI. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) has emerged as a potential protective agent for treating the BSCB after SCI. However, its therapeutic potential is hindered by challenges in the administration route and suboptimal bioavailability, leading to attenuated clinical outcomes. To address this challenge, traditional Chinese medicine, TMP, was used in this study to construct a drug-loaded electroconductive hydrogel for synergistic treatment of SCI. A conductive hydrogel combined with TMP demonstrates good electrical and mechanical properties as well as superior biocompatibility. Furthermore, it also facilitates sustained local release of TMP at the implantation site. Furthermore, the TMP-loaded electroconductive hydrogel could suppress oxidative stress responses, thereby diminishing endothelial cell apoptosis and the breakdown of tight junction proteins. This concerted action repairs BSCB integrity. Concurrently, myelin-associated axons and neurons are protected against death, which meaningfully restore neurological functions post spinal cord injury. Hence, these findings indicate that combining the electroconductive hydrogel with TMP presents a promising avenue for potentiating drug efficacy and synergistic repair following SCI.

Graphical abstract: Tetramethylpyrazine-loaded electroconductive hydrogels promote tissue repair after spinal cord injury by protecting the blood–spinal cord barrier and neurons

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Sep 2023
Accepted
06 Apr 2024
First published
10 Apr 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024,12, 4409-4426

Tetramethylpyrazine-loaded electroconductive hydrogels promote tissue repair after spinal cord injury by protecting the blood–spinal cord barrier and neurons

B. Deng, S. Jiang, G. Liu, X. Li, Y. Zhao, X. Fan, J. Ren, C. Ning, L. Xu, L. Ji and X. Mu, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 4409 DOI: 10.1039/D3TB02160B

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