Gel zymography, BBB permeability study, and apoptotic cell death assay after intrathecal injection of SB-3CT 1 day after SCI. (A) Gel zymography showed that MMP-9 activity decreased in the group of rats with intrathecal injection of SB-3CT 1 day after SCI. A statistical study showed that there was a significant difference compared with the group subjected to an intrathecal injection of DMSO (n = 4, p < 0.05). (B) BBB permeability study showed that there was significantly less Evans blue extravasation in the group of rats injected with SB-3CT compared with the group injected with DMSO after SCI (n = 4, P < 0.05). (C) Cell death assay showed that the apoptotic cell death signal was significantly decreased in the rats subjected to intrathecal injection of SB-3CT, compared with the group injected with DMSO after SCI (n = 4, p < 0.05). *p < 0.05.