A comparison of the effect of doxorubicin and phenol on the skeletal muscle. May doxorubicin be a new alternative treatment agent for spasticity?
Since spasticity is still an unsolved problem for orthopaedic surgeons, different chemical agents are tried before surgery. Phenol is a chemical agent which has been used for spasticity treatment for a long time. Doxorubicin is an antitumoral agent that has recently been used for chemomyectomy. The intramuscular effects of phenol and two different dose of doxorubicin were compared in that experimental study. In the first group 0.5 mg/0.5 cm3 doxorubicin, in the second group 1 mg/0.5 doxorubicin and in the third group 5% aqueous solution of fenol/0.5 injection were applied into left quadriceps muscle of rats. Degeneration areas were wider in the high dose doxorubicin group (29.9%; 8.5-61), in comparison with the low dose doxorubicin group (6.4%; 3.1-12) and phenol group (4%; 0-14) after 6 weeks. Differences in degeneration area among three groups were statistically significant (P<0.001). The difference was significant between the high dose doxorubicin group and the phenol group (P=0.001) and also between the high dose doxorubicin group and the low dose doxorubicin group (P<0.001). The results of this study suggested that doxorubicin could provide an alternative treatment modality for neuromuscular disease causing spasticity and it has a dose-dependent effect. Further studies are needed for long-term comparison and clinical use of doxorubicin for spasticity treatment.
Cullu
Emre
E
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Adnan Menderes University, Medical School, Aydin, Turkey. ecullu@superonline.com
Ozkan
Ilhan
I
Culhaci
Nil
N
Alparslan
Bulent
B
D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D019800:Phenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011336:Probability; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D019800:Phenol; D004317:Doxorubicin