Acute Neuroprotective Effects of Alpha-lipoic asit in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury In Rats

Aim: Extensive research has focused on neuroprotection after spinal cord trauma to evaluate the effects of secondary injury. This study aims to investigate the acute neuroprotective effects of alpha-lipoic asit (LA) in experimental spinal cord injury. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two adult, male Wistar rats were made spinal cord injury using the clip compression method. Animals were divided into four groups. First group is the sham group that only received laminectomy, second group is control group that received laminectomy and clip compression, third group is administered (30mg/kg) methylprednisolone e (MP) after laminectomy and treatment group is administered (100 mg/kg) LA. Ultrastructural findings of spinal cord were investigated, and brain stem, spinal cord, sciatic nerve malonildialdehyde (MDA) levels were compared. Results: Regarding tissue MDA levels after trauma, animals in alpha-lipoic asit group demonstrated better results than the trauma group. These results were similar with the methylprednisolone e group. The results regarding the ultrastructural findings were favourable in MP group. Alpha-lipoic asit group demonstrated similar ultrastructural findings with control group. Conclusions: According to the MDA levels, LA demonstrated similar neuroprotective effects as methylprednisolone e in acute phase of spinal cord injury. But ultrastructural findings has not differed between control and LA group, LA has worse effects on acute phase of spinal trauma.