title: Methylprednisolone does not decrease eicosanoid concentrations or edema in brain tissue or improve neurologic outcome after head trauma in rats.
abstract: Methylprednisolone was recently reported to significantly improve motor and sensory function after acute spinal cord injury in patients. Our study was designed to determine whether methylprednisolone exerts a beneficial effect after head injury. Diethyl ether-anesthetized rats were assigned to receive surgery with no cranial impact and no methylprednisolone (group A, n = 13); surgery with no cranial impact and intraperitoneal methylprednisolone (greater than or equal to 60 mg/kg) (group B, n = 8); surgery with cranial impact and no methylprednisolone (group C, n = 8, and group E, n = 8); or surgery with cranial impact and methylprednisolone (greater than or equal to 60 mg/kg) (group D, n = 15, and group F, n = 13). Neurologic severity score was determined at 1, 2, 4, and 24 h (when appropriate) after injury, and brain tissue eicosanoid levels and cerebral edema were determined when the animals were killed (4 h after injury in groups C and D and 24 h after injury in groups E and F). Treatment with methylprednisolone did not improve neurologic severity score or edema formation and did not alter brain tissue levels of prostaglandin E2, thromboxane B2, or 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha at any time period. The authors conclude that methylprednisolone does not exert a beneficial effect on brain tissue edema or functional activity after cranial impact in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Artru
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yadid
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shohami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011453:Prostaglandins; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D008775:Methylprednisolone