title: Thymoquinone attenuates trauma induced spinal cord damage in an animal model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most devastating conditions leading to neurological impairment and disabilities. The aim of the study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effect of thymoquinone (TQ) histopathologically in an experimental model of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group; SCI group; SCI-induced and 10 mg/kg/day TQ administered group; SCI-induced and 30 mg/kg/day TQ administered group. TQ was given as intraperitoneal for three days prior to injury and four days following injury. Spinal cord segment between T8 and T10 were taken for histopathologic examination. Hemorrhage, spongiosis and liquefactive necrosis were analyzed semiquantatively for histopathological changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of TQ at a dose of 10 mg/kg did not cause any significant change on the histological features of neuronal degeneration as compared to the SCI group (p=0.269); however, 30 mg/kg TQ significantly decreased the histological features of spinal cord damage below that of the SCI group (p=0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from this study suggest that TQ supplementation attenuates trauma induced spinal cord damage. Thus, TQ needs to be taken into consideration, for it may have a neuroprotective effect in trauma induced spinal cord damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey. drnustun@yahoo.com.tr.
authors.forename: Nilgün
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Üstün
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tumay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozgur
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Veterinary, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hamdullah Suphi
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sefil
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Raif
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ozden
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah Erman
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Yagiz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C003466:thymoquinone