Acute phase effects of ATP-MgCl₂ on experimental spinal cord injury

Abstract.

The purpose of this study was to study the acute phase effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-MgCl₂ on experimental spinal cord clip compression injury. Spinal cord clip compression injury was performed on 36 albino Wistar rats. The rats were divided into five groups. T4–T8 total laminectomy was performed on all rats. Group 1: sham-operated group. Group 2: clip compression group. In group 3, ATP-MgCl₂ (100 µmol/kg) was given 2 min before the "clip compression injury." In group 4, ATP-MgCl₂ (100 µmol/kg) was given 5 min after the clip compression injury. In group 5, ATP MgC1₂ (100 µmol/kg) was administered 8 h after the injury. The spinal cords were excised for a length of 2 cm and deep frozen at –76°C. Tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were used to determine the effects of ATP-MgCl₂ on spinal cord lipid peroxidation. In the groups in which ATP MgCl₂ was administered after the clip compression injury (groups 4 and 5), the decrease in spinal cord MDA levels was statistically significant when compared with those of the injury group (group 2). Although MDA levels of group 4 were lower than those of group 5, this difference was not statistically significant. Administration of the ATP-MgCl₂ before the clip compression injury (in group 3) did not have a statistically significant effect on lipid peroxidation when compared with the injury group (group 2). In this study, we found that ATP-MgCl₂ has decreased lipid peroxidation in spinal cord injury and protected the spinal cord from secondary injury after the trauma. We concluded that ATP-MgCl₂ may be used in the treatment of spinal cord injuries in conjunction with the other treatment modalities, but further investigations are mandatory.