title: The effectiveness of dexmedetomidine in experimental spinal cord injury compared to methylprednisolone in rats.
abstract: The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of dexmedetomidine in a rat experimental spinal cord injury model. The rats (n=40) were equally divided into four groups: G1, G2, G3, and G4. Rats in the G1 group underwent a laminectomy only. For the rats in the G2, G3, and G4 groups, spinal cord injury was induced by placing an aneurysm clip extradurally for 60 s at T10. The rats in G2 did not receive any post-injury treatment. Immediately after trauma was induced, rats in G3 were given methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg) and in G4, dexmedetomidine (10 microg/kg), both intraperitoneally. The rats were sacrificed under anesthesia 24 hours later and 1.5 cm lengths of injured spinal cord were obtained. Malonyldialdehyde values were significantly increased in G2 compared to G1, G3 and G4 (p<0.05). The neuronal cell count in G1 was significantly higher than in G2 and G3 (p=0.0001; p=0.007). G4 had higher cell counts compared to G2 and G3 (p=0.0001; p=0.05). These findings indicated that dexmedetomidine might have neuroprotective effects in spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Kozlu, Zonguldak 67600, Turkey. drsanser@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sanser
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.forename: Volkan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hanci
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bahadir
authors.forename: Serefden
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acikgoz
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bektas
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ankarali
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalayci
authors.forename: Bektas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Acikgoz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D020927:Dexmedetomidine; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase; D008775:Methylprednisolone