Administration of methylprednisolone do not affect the spinal scar component of spinal cord injury

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of methylprednisolone (MP) on scar composition following spinal cord injury (SCI). Design A total of 40 adult Sprague Dawley rats underwent right hemisection injuries to the spinal cord. Interventions The rats were randomly divided into two groups: the vehicle group and the MP group. In the MP group, rats received intraperitoneal injections of MP at a dose of 30 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days, while the vehicle group received intraperitoneal injections of saline as a control. Weekly assessments of hindlimb performance in the rat models were conducted using the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan test (BBB) score and the horizontal ladder-walking test. Changes in scar components were identified through immunofluorescence staining, and an axonal regeneration assay was employed to evaluate regrowth under inhibitory conditions. Results The administration of MP led to a significant improvement in BBB scores compared to the control group at 7 days post-injury, although this improvement was not consistent. Furthermore, rats in the MP group did not demonstrate progressive improvement in horizontal ladder walking. Notably, there were no significant changes in the content of scar components in the injured area following MP treatment, and the axon length of neurons treated with MP did not exhibit significant extension compared to the vehicle group. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the administration of MP does not effectively enhance hindlimb motor function or promote neuronal axon growth within a scarred environment after SCI.