Hyperbaric oxygen intervention on expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in spinal cord injury models in rats

Background Hyperbaric oxygen （HBO） intervention is a main therapeutic method and the curative effect has been certified for spinal cord injury （SCI）, but the mechanisms of the neuroprotective effect of HBO on SCI remain elusive. This study aimed to observe the change in expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） after SCI at different time points and to investigate the neuroprotective mechanism of HBO on SCI in rats.