Improved functional recovery with oxandrolone after spinal cord injury in rats.
At present, only the corticosteroid, methylprednisolone, is used for acute spinal cord injury to improve function. However, improvements are modest, and are associated with myopathy and immunosuppression so that alternative treatments are needed. Oxandrolone is an androgenic steroid with potential neuroprotective properties that is used to prevent muscle loss and is not immunosuppressive. Oxandrolone increased locomotor recovery concomitant with reduced loss of cord tissue in a standard weight drop model of spinal cord contusion injury indicating oxandrolone as a possible alternative to methylprednisolone. Oxandrolone also increased axonal sprouting within the ventral horns distal to the injury consistent with formation of relay circuits mediating locomotor recovery.
Center of Excellence for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
Richard J
RJ
Zeman
William A
WA
Bauman
Xialing
X
Wen
Nengtai
N
Ouyang
Joseph D
JD
Etlinger
Christopher P
CP
Cardozo
D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010074:Oxandrolone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020335:Paraparesis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D010074:Oxandrolone