EFFECTS OF COMBINED AND INDIVIDUAL USE OF NMDA RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST MAGNESIUM SULPHATE AND CASPASE-9 INHIBITOR z-LEDH-fmk IN EXPERIMENTAL SPINAL CORD INJURY

Abstract

We investigated the individual and combined effects of magnesium sulphate, which is an N-Methyl-D aspartate receptor antagonist (NMDA), and z-LEHD-FMK, which is a caspase 9 inhibitor, on the genesis of secondary injury in a rat spinal cord injury model. We aimed to minimize the effects of secondary injury in spinal cord trauma by choosing these two agents which served to block the two major mechanisms of cell loss, apoptosis and necrosis. The drugs were given to the subjects according to their groups, either in singular or combined fashion. For motor examination, the subjects were kept under close clinical evaluation for five days. Histopathological examination and the emerging spinal cord samples were prepared with haematoxylene-eosin and Tunel techniques. A statistically significant difference in favor of the treatment groups has been found between the treatment and control groups in terms of histological data. However, there was no difference in the evaluation of motor examination between trauma and treatment groups. We have found no difference between the individual and combined uses of MgSO4 and z-LEHD-FMK in the prevention of secondary injury; however, there were better histological results in the treatment groups compared to trauma and control groups which gives us hope for future investigations.