Effects of resveratrol and methylprednisolone on biochemical,neurobehavioral and histopathological recovery after experimental spinal cord injury

Aim:To investigate the neuroprotective effect of resveratrol in an experimentalspinal cord injury(SCI)model in rats.Methods:Male Wistar albino rats weighing200-250 g were randomized into six groups.Weight-drop trauma was performedfor SCI.Group 1 underwent laminectomy alone.Group 2 underwent laminectomyfollowed by SCI.Groups 3,4,5,and 6 underwent laminectomy followed by SCIand received resveratrol(100 mg/kg),methylprednisolone(MP)(30 mg/kg),resveratrol(100 mg/kg)plus MP(30 mg/kg),and ethanol(2%),respectively.Therats were divided into two subgroups for biochemical analysis(killed at 24 h aftersurgery)and for neurobehavioral and histopathological evaluation(killed at 6weeks after surgery).Posttraumatic neurological recovery after surgery was re-corded weekly.Results:Groups 3 and 5 revealed significantly lower malon-dialdehyde,nitric oxide,xanthine oxidase,and higher glutathione levels than group4(P<0.05).Neurological recovery rates were significantly better in groups 3 and5 than group 4(P<0.05).When spinal trauma size ratios were compared,there wasno significant difference between treatment groups.Conclusion:Resveratroltreatment revealed better biochemical recovery in the acute stage of trauma thanMP treatment.Although resveratrol and combined treatment revealed betterneurobehavioral recovery than MP treatment;resveratrol,MP,and combined treat-ment modalities improved histopathological recovery at the same level in the finalstage of the experiment.Future studies involving different doses of resveratroland different doses combinations with MP could promise better results as eachdrug has a different anti-oxidative mechanism of action.