title: Effects of methylprednisolone, dantrolene, and their combination on experimental spinal cord injury.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of methylprednisolone sodium succinate, dantrolene sodium, and their combination on experimental spinal cord injury. We used 25 rats (Rattus norvegicus) that were divided into five groups. The negative control group (NC) consisted of animals without spinal cord trauma. In the groups with spinal cord trauma, the positive control group (PC) was given no treatment, the MS group was treated with methylprednisolone, the MS/DS group was treated with methylprednisolone and dantrolene, and the DS group was treated with dantrolene alone. The animals' motor function was evaluated daily, as measured with the open field test. Eight days after surgery, the animals were euthanized for spinal cord collection. Descriptive morphological evaluation, anti-NeuN immunohistochemistry, TUNEL, and anti-Bax immunofluorescence were performed. There was no significant difference between the PC, MS, MS/DS and DS groups with respect to BBB scores, neuronal and glial staining, or Bax expression (P < 0.05). Therefore, we conclude that methylprednisolone sodium succinate, dantrolene sodium, or the combination of these drugs did not reduce neuronal and glial loss, intrinsic pathway apoptosis, or promote functional recovery.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabel R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Rosado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus-Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mário Sérgio L
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lavor
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Uberaba Uberaba-Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Endrigo G L
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Campus de Palotina Palotina-Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiola B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Maria O
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fatima Maria C
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte-Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliane G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Melo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D003620:Dantrolene / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D003620:Dantrolene; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: Methylprednisolone; dantrolene; rats; spinal cord injury