The combination treatment of methylprednisolone and growth factor-rich serum ameliorates the structural and functional changes after spinal cord injury in rat

Abstract This study aims to evaluate the combined effect of Methylprednisolone (MP) and growth factor-rich serum (GFRS) on structural and functional recovery in rats following spinal cord injury (SCI). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: 1- sham group (laminectomy); 2- SCI group (the spinal cord clip compression model); 3- SCI-MP group (30 mg/kg MP was administrated intraperitoneally (IP) immediately after SCI); 4- SCI-GFRS group (GFRS (200 µl, IP) was administrated for six consecutive days); and 5- SCI-MP + GFRS group (the rats received MP (30 mg/kg, IP) immediately after SCI, and GFRS (200 µl, IP) for six consecutive days). Motor function was assessed weekly using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale. After four weeks, we conducted the rotarod test, then removed and prepared the spinal cords (including the epicenter of injury) for stereological and histological estimation (n = 6 for each group), and biochemical assays (n = 5 for each group). The results showed that MP and GFRS combining treatment enhanced functional recovery, which was associated with a decrement in lesion volume, increased spared white and gray matter volume, reduced neuronal loss, as well as decreased necrosis and hemorrhage after SCI. Moreover, administration of MP and GFRS inhibited lipid peroxidation (MDA content), and increased antioxidant enzymes including glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) after rat SCI. Our study suggests that the combination treatment of MP and GFRS may ameliorate the structure and functional changes following SCI by reducing oxidative stress, and increasing the level of antioxidants enzymes.