FIG. 3.

Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning (HBO-PC) slowed down the apoptotic process in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (SCIR) injury. (A) The number of TUNEL-positive cells significantly increased in the spinal cord at 1 week after SCIR injury, and HBO-PC significantly reduced the SCIR-induced increase in TUNEL-positive cells (mean±standard deviation [SD], n=6, ^##p<0.01 vs. Sham group, **p<0.01 vs. SCIR group). (B, C) The enzymatic activity of caspase-9 and caspase-3 at 1 week increased in the spinal cord of mice with SCIR injury. The enzymatic activity of caspase-9 or caspase-3 at 1 week after SCIR injury, however, was significantly reduced in the HBO-PC+SCIR group compared with the SCIR group (mean±SD, n=6, ^##p<0.01 vs. the Sham group, **p<0.01 vs. the SCIR group).