en Neurosciences Neurosciences Original Article Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;">Upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), in particular <em>MMP-2</em> and <em>MMP-9</em> contributes to secondary pathogenesis of spinal cord injury (SCI) via promoting inflammation. Recently, we reported that trehalose suppresses inflammatory responses following SCI. Therefore, we investigated the effect of trehalose on <em>MMP-2</em> and <em>MMP-9</em> expression in SCI. A weight-drop contusion SCI was induced in male rats. Then, animals received trehalose at three doses of 10 (T10), 100 (T100) and 1000 (T1000) mM intrathecally.<em> MMP-2</em> and <em>MMP-9</em> transcripts were then measured in damaged spinal cord at 1, 3 and 7 days after trauma, and compared with vehicle and sham groups. Additionally, behavioral analysis was conducted for 1 week using Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale. Our data showed an early upregulation of <em>MMP-9</em> at 1 day post-SCI. However, <em>MMP-2</em> expression was increased at 3 days after trauma. Treatment with 10 mM trehalose significantly reduced <em>MMP-2</em> expression at 3 and 7 days (P< 0.01) and <em>MMP-9</em> expression at 1, 3, and 7 days (P< 0.05) post-damage compared with vehicle. However, downregulation of both<em> MMPs</em> was not observed in T100 and T1000 groups. In addition, T10 group showed more rapid recovery of hind limb strength compared with T100 and T1000 groups. We propose that neuroprotective effect of low dose trehalose is mediated by attenuation of <em>MMP-2</em> and <em>MMP-9</em> expression.</div> Spinal cord injury, trehalose, matrix metalloproteinases 8 16 http://ijmcmed.org/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1327-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Masoumeh Mirzaie masoumeh.0511@gmail.com 100319475328460011376 100319475328460011376 No Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Mehrnaz Karimi mehrnaz.karimi6878@gmail.com 100319475328460011377 100319475328460011377 No Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Hossein Fallah hofallah2014@gmail.com 100319475328460011378 100319475328460011378 No Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Mohammad Khaksari khaksar38@yahoo.co.uk 100319475328460011379 100319475328460011379 No Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Mahdieh Nazari-Robati mnazari@kmu.ac.ir 100319475328460011380 100319475328460011380 Yes Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology and Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.