Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of electrical stimulation on the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) andinterleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) in adult rats with spinal cord injury. Methods 72 adult SD rats were randomly divided into damage group (n=24), electrical stimulation group (n=24) and normal group (n=24). The spinal cord incomplete injury model on T9 was made with Allen'smethod in the former 2 groups. The rats in electrical stimulation group accepted electrical stimulation for 7 d. All the rats were evaluatedwith the Basso, Beattie & Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB scale), and the expression of GFAP and IL-1α were determined with immunohistochemistry.Results The BBB scores in both the damage group and electrical stimulation group were significantly less than that inthe normal group (P<0.05), and it was more in the electrical stimulation group than in the damage group 5 and 7 d after injury. The expressionsof the GFAP significantly increased after injury to the peak on 5th day, while it was less in the electrical stimulation group than in thedamage group 5 and 7 d after injury (P<0.05). The expressions of the IL-1α increased continually after injury, while it was less in the electricalstimulation group than in the damage group 5 and 7 d after injury (P<0.05). Conclusion Electrical stimulation can inhibit the expressionof GFAP and IL-1α, that reduce inflammation and glial scar formation.

Key words: spinal cord injury, electrical stimulation, glial fibrillary acidic protein, interleukin-1 alpha