ABSTRACT
Levels of noradrenaline (NA) and histamine (H) in the spinal cord of monkeys at 8, 24 and 48 hr following 200 g/cm contusion injury, 50 g of compression injury at 8 hr and decompression for 16 and 40 hr following 8 hr of compression were studied in the traumatised and in an adjacent non-traumatised segment. The NA level doubled in the traumatised and non-traumatised segments at 8 hr contusion injury followed by a slow decline to control values at 24 and 48 hr of contusion injury. There was no change in NA content of the spinal cord segments at 8 hr of compression injury. Decompression for 16 hr following 8 hr of compression increased NA content of the traumatised segment. H levels decreased in the traumatised and non-traumatised segments at 24 and 48 hr of contusion injury. Compression for 8 hr elevated H in the traumatised and non-traumatised segments. On decompression H level was further increased in the traumatised segment.