title: Etanercept treatment enhances clinical and neuroelectrophysiological recovery in partial spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of an anti-TNF-α agent (etanercept) on recovery processes in a partial spinal cord injury (SCI) model using clinical and electrophysiological tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups: group 1 [SCI + 2 ml saline intramuscular (i.m.), n = 8], group 2 (SCI + 2.5 mg/kg etanercept, i.m., 2-4 h after SCI, n = 8) and group 3 (SCI + 2.5 mg/kg etanercept, i.m., 12-24 h after SCI, n = 8). Rabbits were evaluated before SCI, immediately after SCI, 1 week after, and 2 weeks after SCI, clinically by Tarlov scale and electrophysiologically by SEP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tarlov scores of groups 2 and 3 were significantly better than group 1, 2 weeks after SCI. SEP recovery was significantly better in groups 2 and 3 than group 1, 2 weeks after SCI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that blocking TNF-α mediated inflammation pathway by an anti-TNF-α agent enhances clinical and electrophysiological recovery processes in partial SCI model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Cumhuriyet University School of Medicine, Sivas 58140, Turkey. fbayrakli@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bayrakli
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balaban
authors.forename: Unal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ozum
authors.forename: Cevdet
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duger
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topaktas
authors.forename: Hamit Zafer
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Kars
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000068800:Etanercept; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept