Comparative neuroprotective effects of methylprednisolone and rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ following spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE: To compare the neuroprotective effects of methylprednisolone (MPSS) and rosiglitazone (ROSG) following spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODS: This study was carried out at the Institute of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China between June 2009 and March 2010. One hundred and twenty Sprague-Dawley rats after SCI were divided into 4 different groups (30/group): i) SCI-vehicle group, ii) MPSS group, iii) ROSG group, and iv) sham saline group. The following 5 aspects were evaluated: 1) spinal cord inflammation and tissue injury; 2) neutrophil infiltration; 3) cell apoptosis; 4) the expression of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-β; and 5) the expression of tissue Bax, Bcl-2, and HSP70 proteins in situ.

RESULTS: Notably, ROSG showed similar neuroprotective effects to MPSS, and significantly decreased spinal cord damage, apoptosis, and cytokine expression. There were no significant differences between the MPSS or ROSG-treated groups.

CONCLUSION: Administration of ROSG after SCI reduces the development of inflammation and tissue injury associated with spinal cord trauma.