Objective: To observe the effect of gastrodin infused through abdominal aorta on spinal cord microcirculatory blood flow (SCMBF) during the spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (SCIRI). Method: Totally 60 healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into the normal control group

the model group

gastrodin low

medium and high dose groups (25

50

100 mg · kg-1). Except for the normal group

the SCIRI model was created by clamping infrarenal aorta. The changes in SCMBF were monitored before ischemia and at 15

30

60

120 min after the reperfusion. The neurologic function score (NFS) was evaluated before ischemia and at 6

12

24 h after the reperfusion. The level of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE)

malondialdehyde (MDA)

reactive oxygen species (ROS)

glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)

superoxide dismutase (SOD)

total anti-oxidation capacity (T-AOC) and the pathological changes in spinal cord tissues were monitored before the ischemia and at 45

60

120 min after the reperfusion. Result: Compared with the model group

the model group showed significantly higher NSE

MDA and ROS (P <0.01) and lower GSH-Px

SOD and T-AOC (P <0.01) after ischemia. NSE

MDA and ROS were significantly lower while GSH-Px

SOD and T-AOC were distinctly higher in the gastrodin group after ischemia than that in the model group (P <0.01). The SCMBF and pathological damage in spinal cord in the model group were obviously more serious than that in the gastrodin group (P <0.01)

but NFS recovered rapidly in the gastrodin group during reperfusion than that in the model group (P <0.01). Conclusion: The intra-aortic gastrodin infusion could distinctly alleviate spinal cord microcirculatory dysfunction by infusing gastrodin through abdominal aorta and improving the anti-oxidation ability of spinal cord during SCIRI.