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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · mouse · 2025

6 results

Mitochondrial Cardiolipin-Targeted Tetrapeptide, SS-31, Exerts Neuroprotective Effects Within In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Spinal Cord Injury.

Ravenscraft B, Lee DH, Dai H, Watson AL, Aparicio GI, Han X, Deng LX, Liu NK

International journal of molecular sciences2 Apr 2025Cited by 7 (Europe PMC)

PMID40244206 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC11989705 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.3390/ijms26073327 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-40244206
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Summary

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects millions globally, leading to severe motor and sensory deficits with no effective clinical treatment. Cardiolipin (CL), a mitochondria-specific phospholipid, plays a critical role in bioenergetics and apoptosis. Emerging evidence suggests that CL alterations contribute to secondary SCI pathology, but their precise role and underlying mechanisms remain fully understudied. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of SS-31 on CL alteration, neuronal death, tissue damage, and behavioral recovery after SCI using both in vitro and in vivo models, lipidomics analysis, histological evaluation, and behavioral assessments. In vitro investigations used primary spinal cord neuron cultures, challenged with either rotenone or glutamatergic excitotoxicity, with protective capabilities measured via cell death assays and neurite morphological analysis. In vivo investigations used female adult C57Bl/6 mice, challenged with a contusive SCI. The results showed that SS-31 reduced rotenone- and glutamate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal death in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Additionally, SS-31 attenuated rotenone- and glutamate-induced neurite degeneration in vitro. Lipidomics analysis revealed a reduction in CL at 24 h post-SCI in adult mice, which was attenuated by SS-31 in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with this effect, SS-31 improved behavioral recovery after SCI in adult mice, although it had no significant effect on tissue damage. These findings suggest that CL alteration may play a key role in the pathogenesis of SCI, at least in the C57BL/6 mouse, and as such could be an attractive therapeutic target for ameliorating secondary SCI.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study6

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with contusive spinal cord injury, SS‑31 attenuated the post-injury reduction in cardiolipin in a dose-dependent manner.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 limited the drop in a mitochondrial lipid, more with higher doses.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    IncreaseCardiolipin reduction at 24 h after spinal cord injury
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    contusive spinal cord injury
    Outcome group
    Neuroprotection · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Lipidomics analysis revealed a reduction in CL at 24 h post-SCI in adult mice, which was attenuated by SS-31 in a dose-dependent manner.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In vivo investigations used female adult C57Bl/6 mice, challenged with a contusive SCI.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with contusive spinal cord injury, SS‑31 improved behavioral recovery.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 improved behavioral recovery.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    IncreaseBehavioral recovery after spinal cord injury
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    contusive spinal cord injury
    Outcome group
    Neuroprotection · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Consistent with this effect, SS-31 improved behavioral recovery after SCI in adult mice
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In vivo investigations used female adult C57Bl/6 mice, challenged with a contusive SCI.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with contusive spinal cord injury, SS‑31 had no significant effect on tissue damage.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 did not clearly change the amount of tissue damage.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeTissue damage after spinal cord injury
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    contusive spinal cord injury
    Outcome group
    Neuroprotection · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    although it had no significant effect on tissue damage.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In vivo investigations used female adult C57Bl/6 mice, challenged with a contusive SCI.
  4. 04LabIn vitro (cells)Efficacy outcome

    In primary spinal cord neurons, SS‑31 reduced rotenone- and glutamate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in a dose-dependent manner.

    In plain wordsIn cells, SS‑31 reduced mitochondrial damage caused by two toxic challenges, more with higher doses.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRotenone- and glutamate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    primary spinal cord neuron cultures
    Outcome group
    Mitochondrial function · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The results showed that SS-31 reduced rotenone- and glutamate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal death in a dose-dependent manner in vitro.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In vitro investigations used primary spinal cord neuron cultures, challenged with either rotenone or glutamatergic excitotoxicity, with protective capabilities measured via cell death assays and neurite morphological analysis.
  5. 05LabIn vitro (cells)Efficacy outcome

    In primary spinal cord neurons, SS‑31 reduced rotenone- and glutamate-induced neuronal death in a dose-dependent manner.

    In plain wordsIn cells, SS‑31 reduced nerve cell death caused by two toxic challenges, more with higher doses.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRotenone- and glutamate-induced neuronal death
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    primary spinal cord neuron cultures
    Outcome group
    Neuroprotection · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    The results showed that SS-31 reduced rotenone- and glutamate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal death in a dose-dependent manner in vitro.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In vitro investigations used primary spinal cord neuron cultures, challenged with either rotenone or glutamatergic excitotoxicity, with protective capabilities measured via cell death assays and neurite morphological analysis.
  6. 06LabIn vitro (cells)Efficacy outcome

    In primary spinal cord neurons, SS‑31 attenuated rotenone- and glutamate-induced neurite degeneration.

    In plain wordsIn cells, SS‑31 reduced damage to nerve cell extensions caused by two toxic challenges.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRotenone- and glutamate-induced neurite degeneration
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    primary spinal cord neuron cultures
    Outcome group
    Neuroprotection · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Additionally, SS-31 attenuated rotenone- and glutamate-induced neurite degeneration in vitro.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    In vitro investigations used primary spinal cord neuron cultures, challenged with either rotenone or glutamatergic excitotoxicity, with protective capabilities measured via cell death assays and neurite morphological analysis.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    10 Oct 2026, 08:19 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:47 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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