Age exacerbates microglial activation, oxidative stress, inflammatory and NOX2 gene expression, and delays functional recovery in a middle-aged rodent model of spinal cord injury

Abstract

These results show that middle-aged rats demonstrate increased microglial activation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory gene expression, which may be related to elevated NOX2 expression, and contribute to worsened functional outcome following injury. These findings are essential to elucidating the mechanisms of age-related differences in response to SCI and developing age-appropriate therapeutics.