title: Coadministration of Dexamethasone andMelissa officinalisHas Neuroprotective Effects in Rat Animal Model with Spinal Cord Injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes inflammation, deformity and cell loss. It has been shown thatMelissa officinalis(MO), as herbal medicine, and dexamethasone (DEX) are useful in the prevention of various neurological diseases. The present study evaluated combinational effects of DEX and MO on spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty six adult male Wistar rats were used in this experimental study. The weight-drop contusion method was employed to induce spinal cord injury in rats. DEX and MO were administrated alone and together in different treatment groups. Intra-muscular injection of DEX (1 mg/kg) was started three hours after injury and continued once a day for seven days after injury. Intra-peritoneal (I.P) injection of MO (150 mg/ kg) was started one day after injury and continued once a day for 14 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed motor and sensory functions were improved significantly in the group received a combination of DEX and MO, compared to spinal cord injury group. Mean cavity area was decreased and loss of lower motor neurons and astrogliosis in the ventral horn of spinal cord was significantly prevented in the group received combination of DEX andMelissa officinalis, compared to spinal cord injury group. Furthermore, the findings showed a significant augmentation of electromyography (EMG) recruitment index, increase of myelin diameter, and up-regulation of myelin basic protein in the treated group with combination of DEX and MO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed that combination of DEX and MO could be considered as a neuroprotective agent in spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Centre, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ruhollah
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Centre, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Joghataei
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hooshmandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Homayoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sadraie
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Centre, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kayvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yaghoobi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Korosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mansoori
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Centre, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
keywords: Dexamethasone; Melissa officinalis; Neuroprotective; Spinal Cord Injury