Prednisone and meloxicam in the treatment of rats underwent to acute spinal cord injury

The aim of the study was investigate the use of the prednisone and meloxicam in treatment of rats underwent to the experimental model of acute spinal cord injury with 2Fr Fogarty catheter, with evaluation of the oxidative stress, neurological test and histopathological analysis of the spinal cord. Ninety rats were separated into six equal groups denominated saline control or SCG, prednisone control or PCG, meloxicam control or MCG, saline and injury or STG, prednisone and injury PTG and meloxicam and injury MTG. Each group was divide into three subgroups according to treatment time in the postoperative period of 24h, 72h and seven days. All the rats underwent laminectomy and in the groups STG, MTG and PTG, after exposure of the spinal cord it was performed a compressive spinal cord injury with a 2Fr Fogarty catheter. The SCG and STG were treated with saline, MSG and MTG, with meloxicam and PSG and PTG with prednisone. All rats were evaluated for oxidative stress, neurological tests and histopathology of the spinal cord. Neurological tests were performed with Basso, Beattie e Bresnahan score (BBB), inclined plane and deep pain 24 hours before and after surgery and repeated every 48 hours until the day of euthanasia. The groups STG, MTG and PTG in the different times were zero point in the BBB scale and three points in the inclined plane and absence of deep pain. MTG and PTG had lower catalase activity and TBARS levels when compared to the STG. In the histopathological analysis it was found Wallerian degeneration and necrosis of gray matter of intensity variation. Meloxicam and prednisone can exhibit antioxidant effect, but the necrosis and Wallerian degeneration were not stop in rats underwent to acute spinal cord injury.