TY - JOUR AB - Neural cell apoptosis serves a key role in spinal cord injury (SCI), which is a threat to human health. The present study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) in a spinal cord injury (SCI) rat model. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores demonstrated that Sal B treatment significantly increased locomotor functional recovery in SCI rats compared with SCI model rats between 3 and 8 weeks. Nissl staining demonstrated that Sal B enhanced motor neuron survival and decreased lesion size after SCI. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that Sal B treatment significantly enhanced the mRNA levels of lymphoid enhancer biding factor‑1 and HNF1 homeobox A. In addition, Sal B treatment enhanced the expression of β‑catenin. Western blot analysis determined that Sal B treatment significantly decreased the expression of pro‑apoptosis proteins, including Bax, cleaved caspase‑3 and ‑9, in spinal cord tissues after SCI but enhanced the expression of Bcl‑2, an anti‑apoptotic protein. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining demonstrated that, compared with the SCI group, Sal B treatment decreased the number of TUNEL‑positive neurons. In summary, the present study produced novel data demonstrating the neuroprotective effect of Sal B on SCI with the mechanism likely primarily mediated via the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway. The present findings may be of potential therapeutic value for future SCI treatments. AD - Department of Emergency Trauma Surgery, Linyi City Central Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276400, P.R. China Department of Bone Surgery, Linyi City Central Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276400, P.R. China Department of Orthopedics, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, Shandong 271000, P.R. China Department of Bone Surgery, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150000, P.R. China Department of Spine Surgery, Provincial Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Shandong Provincial Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China AU - Zhou,Hongming AU - Liu,Yi AU - Sun,Lei AU - Fu,Ming AU - Zhao,Yao DA - 2020/02/01 DO - 10.3892/etm.2019.8292 EP - 832 IS - 2 JO - Exp Ther Med KW - salvianolic acid B spinal cord injury Wnt/β‑catenin signaling apoptosis PY - 2020 SN - 1792-0981 1792-1015 SP - 825 ST - Salvianolic acid B activates Wnt/β‑catenin signaling following spinal cord injury T2 - Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine TI - Salvianolic acid B activates Wnt/β‑catenin signaling following spinal cord injury UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.8292 VL - 19 ER -