engleski

Effect of indomethacin on motoric activity and free fatty acid level after experimental spinal cord injury

Study design: Determination of functional and biochemical parameters as well as the effect of specific therapies on these parameters, in the experimental model of neurotrauma in rabbits. Objective: In this study we have followed the effect of indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of endogenous prostaglandin synthesis, on the motoric activity and on the level of free palmitic, stearic, oleic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids in an experimental model of a spinal cord injury in rabbits. Indomethacin was tested in four different doses. Setting: Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia Methods: The animals were randomly divided into 9 experimental groups. In some animals laminectomy was followed by contusion of the spinal cord, by using modified technique of Albin. Motor activity was controlled daily in the course of the next nine postoperating days and scored in accordance with the Tarlov's system. Spinal cord samples from the impact injury site were taken and frozen in liquid nitrogen. For the isolation and purification of total lipids modified method by Folch was used. Free fatty acids (FFAs) were separated from the total lipid extract by preparative thin-layer chromatography. These fatty acids, in the form of the corresponding methyl esters, were identified using gas chromatography. The quantification was done using the internal standard. Results: The level of all analysed free fatty acids was increased in the spinal cord of the experimental animals after neurotrauma. Treatment with indomethacin resulted in a significant decrease of the level of analysed FFAs, but it also had a positive effect on motoric impairment, caused by neurotrauma. Conclusion: These results contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of the neuronal damage caused by trauma, as well as to the search for the efficient therapy. Sponsorship: This work was supported by the Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology (project 062019).

chromatography; free fatty acids; indomethacin; rabbit; spinal cord injury

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