Ferrostatin-1 facilitated neurological functional rehabilitation of spinal cord injury mice by inhibiting ferroptosis

Background: To seek the potential therapy for spinal cord injury, Ferrostatin-1, the first ferroptosis inhibitor, was indicated in spinal cord injury mice, to identify the therapeutic effect. (2)Methods: spinal cord injury model was established by a modified Allen’s method. Then, Ferrostatin-1 was administrated by intraspinal injection. Cortical evoked motorpotential, BMS was indicated to assess the neurological function rehabilitation. H&E, Nissl's staining, NeuN, and GFAP immunofluorescence were used to identify the histological manifestation on the injured spinal cord. Spinosin a selective small molecule activator of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway was administrated to verify the underlying mechanism of Ferrostatin-1. (3) Results: Ferrostatin-1 is conducive to the rehabilitation of cortical evoked motorpotential, BMS scores, synchronized with improvement in the histological manifestation of neuron survival and scar formation and synchronized with improvement in the histological manifestation of neuron survival and scar formation. Spinosin disturbed the benefits of ferrostatin-1 administrating on histological and neurobehavioral manifestation by deranging the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. (4) Conclusions: ferrostain-1 improved rehabilitation of SCI mice by regulating ferroptosis through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.