Acute Effect of Methylprednisolone in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury

ABSTRACT

It is the purpose of this study to determine the benificial effect of treatment with methylprednisolone on the enhancement of Na+, K+-ATPase activity and the increased ATP level during the 4 hours after a 400gm-cm injury to the spinal cord of cat. These results demonstrate that high dose (30mg/kg) of methylprednisolone can benificially enhance the activity of neuronal Na+, K+-ATPase during the first 4 hour after spinal cord injury. But the enhancement of this enzyme activity is not significantly increased with mega dose (60mg/kg) of methylprednisolone. Tissue level of ATP in the high dose-treated cat at 1 hour after trauma was significantly elevated, but those in high dose-treated cat at 4 hour and the 1 and 4 hours with mega dose-treated groups were not significantly increased. The protective effects of methylprednisolone in experimental spinal cord trauma are the enhancement of Na+, K+-ATPase, inhibition of the free-radical reaction and the lipid peroxidation, the increment of neuronal activity and ATP utilization. High dose(30mg/kg) of methylprednisolone is required in order to produce the acute effect in the early phase experimental spinal cord injury.