Effect of intrathecal midazolam on the anterior horn cells of adult albino rat's spinal cord experimental and microscopical study

ABSTRACT

Midazolam, is the only clinically available water soluble beuzodiazepine, has an analgesic action by its effect on the benzodiazepine GABA receptors complex. It can be used as an adjuvant to potentiate the effect of local anesthetics when injected intrathecally to relieve chronic medronical low back pain, but its safety is still in need for more evaluation. In the present study, 21 adult Albino rats were used and divided into 3 equal groups. The first group was considered a control, while animals in the second group were injected with a single intrathecal dose of midazolam. Animals of the third group were injected with three successive doses of the same drug. The spinal cord at the level of the cervical region was dissected, paraffin sections were prepared at 6 urn thickness and stained by H. and E. stain, toluidin blue stain, Nauta and Gygax stain and methyl green pyronin stain. The results showed no changes in either cell diameter or nuclear diameter after single dose of intrathecal injection of the Midazolam. Also, no changes in nucleic acid contents were detected. Repeated intrathecal injections led to a decrease in the diameters of both the cell and its nuclei as well as nuclei/cytoplasmic ratio [N/C ratio]. The nucleic acid contents were still also not affected