title: Effects of dexamethasone in rat neonatal model of axotomy-induced motoneuronal cell death.
abstract: In this study the effect of dexamethasone on the motoneuronal cell death and the nuclear and somatic morphology changes occurring after peripheral nerve transection in the neonatal rats has been determined. The study was performed on 3 day old Wistar rats. Animals were divided into 3 groups--control, axotomised, and axotomised and dexamethasone-treated. The nerve transection was performed bilaterally. A dose of 0.5 mg/kg/24h dexamethasone, administered i.p., was used. On day 7 after the operation the animals were sacrificed and the motoneurons in segments L4 and L5 in the spinal cord were counted and their morphology was analysed. 25. 88% cell loss was found in the axotomised group (p<0.001 vs. control) versus 43.33% cell loss in the dexamethasone-treated and axotomised animals (p<0.01 vs. control). Dexamethasone significantly decreased the number of the surviving motoneurons (p<0.05 vs. axotomised). The axotomised group showed enlargement of the somatic area and the maximal and minimal diameters of the cell while the dexamethasone-treated and axotomised group showed soma shrinkage and decrease in the minimal cell diameter. Our results propose a possible hazard towards the application of dexamethasone in the treatment of new-borns with concomitant nerve injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Medical University, Sofia Bulgaria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prodanov
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mantchev
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iliev
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Traykov
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yakimova
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaneva
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krushkov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D019771:Axotomy; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone