title: Effects of a single dose of methylprednisolone versus three doses of rosiglitazone on nerve growth factor levels after spinal cord injury.
abstract: Acute spinal cord lesions result in dramatic changes in neuronal function. Studies have shown that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonist, rosiglitazone, has neuroprotective properties. The effect of rosiglitazone after acute spinal cord injury was examined in the present study. Rats were subjected to laminectomy only; laminectomy with spinal cord contusion injury; laminectomy with contusion injury plus 30 mg/kg body weight methylprednisolone administered 5 min after surgery; or laminectomy with contusion injury plus 2 mg/kg body weight rosiglitazone administered intraperitoneally 5 min, 6 h and 24 h after surgery. Both drugs increased neurotrophin gene and protein expression 24 h after injury compared with injured rats without drug treatment. Rosiglitazone increased neurotrophin expression at 7 days to a greater extent than methylprednisolone. Early functional recovery was observed in rats treated with rosiglitazone. The greater increase in rosiglitazone-induced nerve growth factor expression soon after injury could explain, at least in part, the improved recovery of motor function compared with methylprednisolone or saline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D007796:Laminectomy; D008124:Locomotion; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000819:agonists; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017931:DNA Primers; D047495:PPAR gamma; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D008775:Methylprednisolone