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The effects of systemically administered methylprednisolone and recombinant human erythropoietin after acute spinal cord compressive injury in rats

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Abstract

The study design was to decrease the damage of spinal cord on the experimentally induced acute spinal cord injury in rats. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO) and methylprednisolone (MPSS) improve neurological function and histopathological changes if systemically administered after traumatic spinal cord injury. This study included 48 rats that underwent experimental SCI. Forty-eight animals were randomly divided into six groups. Animals constituted a moderate compression of 0.6 N that was produced by application of an aneurysm clip at level T3 for 1 min. rHu-EPO (1,000 and 3,000 U (Unit) per kg of body weight i.p.) and MPSS (30 mg/kg) were administered 5 min after injury, and control group was saline treated. (1) Control group (n=8), (2) MPSS group (n=8), (3) rHu-EPO 1,000 U group (n=8), (4) MPSS + rHu-EPO 1,000 U group (n=8), (5) rHu-EPO 3,000 U group (n=8), and (6) MPSS + rHu-EPO 3,000 U group (n=8). The neurological function and histopathology were evaluated at 24 and 72 h. According to the neurological functional test scores significant improvements between the control group and the other groups that had taken medical treatment were observed (P<0.001). Histopathologically severe ischemic findings were observed in the control group. A significant decrease in ischemic damage was detected in MPSS + rHu-EPO 3,000 U group (P<0.001). The most significant neurological functional and histopathological improvements were observed after systemical administration of MPSS + rHu-EPO 3,000 U and rHu-EPO 3,000 U. Furthermore, the MPSS + rHu-EPO 3,000 U group provides the most improved neurological functional and histopathological recovery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Dicle University, School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Abdurrahman Çetin & Adnan Ceviz

  2. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University, School of Medicine, 21280, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Kemal Nas

  3. Department of Pathology, Dicle University, School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Hüseyin Büyükbayram

  4. Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Dicle University, School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey

    Gönül Ölmez

Authors
  1. Abdurrahman Çetin
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  2. Kemal Nas
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  3. Hüseyin Büyükbayram
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  4. Adnan Ceviz
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  5. Gönül Ölmez
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Correspondence to Kemal Nas.

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Çetin, A., Nas, K., Büyükbayram, H. et al. The effects of systemically administered methylprednisolone and recombinant human erythropoietin after acute spinal cord compressive injury in rats. Eur Spine J 15, 1539–1544 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-006-0091-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-006-0091-2

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