Rabbits^[1]
The adult male New Zealand rabbits (body weight 2.0-2.5?kg) are used. Twenty-four rabbits are randomly divided into three groups (per group): sham-operated control (Cont), spinal cord ischemia reperfusion, and treated with safflower yellow. The control group only execute anesthesia and surgical procedures, except for occluding the abdominal aorta. The group is intravenously injected with 2?mL/kg of a solution of 16% (wt/vol) Safflower yellow (1?mL, containing 1.6?mg Safflower yellow), followed by continuous infusion of a total of 5?mL/kg through the right femoral vein at the moment of reperfusion beginning after 40 minutes of the abdominal aorta occlusion. The same volumes of 0.9% saline solution are administrated in control and groups. Blood samples are obtained at the end of 0 hour, 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after reperfusion, and the plasma is separated and stored at -80°C for further analysis. All animals are sacrificed 48 hours after reperfusion and are rapidly perfused with 0.9% sodium chloride, and the L2-5 segments of the spinal cord are quickly removed. The L2-3 segment in each animal is used for western blot, and the other segment (L4-5) is immersed into 10% neutral formaldehyde for 2-3 days and is used for morphology analysis^[1].

MCE has not independently confirmed the accuracy of these methods. They are for reference only.

• [1]. Zhou D, et al. The effect of safflower yellow on spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury in rabbits. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2013;2013:692302.  [Content Brief]