title: Effect of nimodipine or methylprednisolone on recovery from acute experimental spinal cord injury in rats.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine the behavioral, electrophysiologic, and anatomic responses to nimodipine or methylprednisolone treatment of acute experimental spinal cord injury. Four groups of rats were injured at T1 by compressing the cord with a 52-g clip for 1 minute. The treatments were begun 15 minutes after injury, and the animals were observed thereafter for 8 weeks. Nimodipine 0.02 mg/kg/h intravenously (iv) for 8 hours with adjuvant albumen volume expansion, followed by 20 mg/kg nimodipine enterally three times per day for 7 days, produced a moderately better composite score comprising four endpoint parameters than the other treatments which consisted of nimodipine iv for 8 hours only, methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg iv bolus followed by 5.4 mg/kg/h iv for 8 hours, or control.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Paraplegic Association, Spinal Cord Injury Research Laboratory, Toronto Hospital, Ontario.
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tator
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Theriault
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D012012:Red Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009553:Nimodipine; D008775:Methylprednisolone