Free fatty acid level after experimental spinal cord injury

Fatty acids are essential components of membrane phospholipids having therefore an important role in maintaining of a structure and a function of cell membranes. Accumulation of free free fatty acids (FFA), especially arachidonic acid, precursor of prostaglandins and leukotriens, is a possible indicator of nervous cell damage. In this study we have followed the effect of impact spinal cord injury on the level of free palmitic, stearic, oleic, arachidonic and docosaheksaenoic acid in an experimental model of spinal cord injury in rabbits. Spinal cord samples from the impact injury site were taken and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Modified method by Folch, for the isolation and purification of total lipids, was used. The FFAs were separated from the total lipid extract by preparative thin-layer chromatography. Free fatty acids was identified and quantified using gas chromatography. The level all of research free fatty acids was increased in the spinal cord of experimental animals after neurotrauma.