Effects of resveratrol and methylprednisolone on biochemical, neurobehavioral and histopathological recovery after experimental spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the neuroprotective effect of resveratrol in an experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) model in rats.


METHODS
Male Wistar albino rats weighing 200-250 g were randomized into six groups. Weight-drop trauma was performed for SCI. Group 1 underwent laminectomy alone. Group 2 underwent laminectomy followed by SCI. Groups 3, 4, 5, and 6 underwent laminectomy followed by SCI and received resveratrol (100 mg/kg), methylprednisolone (MP) (30 mg/kg), resveratrol (100 mg/kg) plus MP (30 mg/kg), and ethanol (2%), respectively. The rats were divided into two subgroups for biochemical analysis (killed at 24 h after surgery) and for neurobehavioral and histopathological evaluation (killed at 6 weeks after surgery). Posttraumatic neurological recovery after surgery was recorded weekly.


RESULTS
Groups 3 and 5 revealed significantly lower malon-dialdehyde, nitric oxide, xanthine oxidase, and higher glutathione levels than group 4 (P<0.05). Neurological recovery rates were significantly better in groups 3 and 5 than group 4 (P<0.05). When spinal trauma size ratios were compared, there was no significant difference between treatment groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Resveratrol treatment revealed better biochemical recovery in the acute stage of trauma than MP treatment. Although resveratrol and combined treatment revealed better neurobehavioral recovery than MP treatment; resveratrol, MP, and combined treatment modalities improved histopathological recovery at the same level in the final stage of the experiment. Future studies involving different doses of resveratrol and different doses combinations with MP could promise better results as each drug has a different anti-oxidative mechanism of action.
Ates
Ozkan
O
Department of Neurosurgery, Inonu University, School of Medicine, 44280 Malatya, Turkey. atesozkan@hotmail.com
Cayli
Suleyman
S
Altinoz
Eyup
E
Gurses
Iclal
I
Yucel
Neslihan
N
Kocak
Ayhan
A
Yologlu
Saim
S
Turkoz
Yusuf
Y
D000818:Animals; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013267:Stilbenes; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase; D005978:Glutathione; D000077185:Resveratrol; D008775:Methylprednisolone