title: Neuroprotective Effects of Pregabalin Against Spinal Cord Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of pregabalin pre-treatment on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and compare with methylprednisolone (MP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups as follow: Group 1 (sham)(n=8), group 2 (ischemia only)(n=8), group 3 (30 mg/kg pregabalin)(n=8), and group 4 (30 mg/kg methylprednisolone)(n=8). Laparotomy was performed without aortic clamp in the sham group. All animals were sacrificed 24 hours after surgery. The spinal cord tissue samples were harvested and caspase-3 activity, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin-1 Beta (IL-1β) levels, catalase (CAT) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and nitric oxide (NO) levels were analyzed to investigate the effects of different excitatory and inflammatory pathways in mechanism of I/R injury. Ultrastructural and histopathological examinations were carried out. Neurological recovery was measured by Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) test and Inclined Plane Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decresead caspase-3 activity and decreased inflammatory markers like TNF-α, IL-1β, and decresaed excitotatory pathways like CAT, GPx, MDA, NO and SOD were observed in both pregabalin pre-treatment and MP treatment groups. Pregabalin pre-treatment produced better ultrastructural results compared to MP treatment, as with histopathological examination. Pregabalin group showed better recovery compared to MP treament group according to BBB scoring system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregabalin pre-treatmet and MP treatment both has neuroprotective effect on I/R injury by decreasing caspase dependant apoptosis, and inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. In addition, pregabalin pre-treatment had better clinical effects compared to MP treatment.
authors.affiliation: Ufuk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kazanci
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozdogan
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahveci
authors.forename: Emre Cemal
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gokce
authors.forename: Kazim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yigitkanli
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gokce
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erdogan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D000069583:Pregabalin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D000069583:Pregabalin; D008775:Methylprednisolone