title: Effect of magnesium sulphate in experimental spinal cord injury: evaluation with ultrastructural findings and early clinical results.
abstract: Excitotoxic mechanisms have been implicated in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI). The authors have studied the protection against secondary damage to rat spinal cord with magnesium sulphate, a well-known N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist. Rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups. Group 1 rats were controls and normal spinal cord samples were obtained after clinical examination. 50 g-cm contusion injury was introduced to Group 2. Group 3 was vehicle, 1 cc of physiologic saline was injected post-trauma. Group 4 and 5 were treatment groups and 100 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg of Magnesium sulphate was given immediately after trauma, intraperitoneally. Animals were evaluated with inclined plane, Tarlov motor scale and Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale 24h after SCI. Spinal cord samples for ultrastructural evaluations were obtained following clinical examinations. Magnesium treatment improved neurological outcome. Electron microscopic results showed obvious neuroprotection in the treatment groups. Application of 600 mg/kg of magnesium revealed better ultrastructural findings and clinical results than 100 mg/kg. These findings demonstrated that magnesium sulphate possesses neuroprotection on spinal cord ultrastructure and on functional scores after acute contusion injury to the rat spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Education, and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaptanoglu
authors.forename: Etem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beskonakli
authors.forename: Ozerk
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Okutan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Selcuk Surucu
authors.forename: Yamac
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taskin
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate