ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the effects of etofenamate on secondary damage following a spinal cord injury and compares the effects with those of methylprednisolone. A total of 31 male Wistar-Albino rats were used. A weight-drop model was utilized for the experimental spinal cord injury and a 50g-cm impact was applied on the spinal cord. Rats were randomly assigned to one of the three study arms (saline, etofenamate 20 mg/kg, methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg). At the sixth hour of injury electrophysiological evaluations were conducted under anesthesia, and then rats were sacrificed for histopathology. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were applied to the specimens and evaluated under light microscopy. Etofenamate revealed more beneficial results in histopathological evaluations when compared with methylprednisolone, but these favorable results have not been confirmed by electrophysiological measurements. Etofenamate may be a promising agent in the medical treatment of spinal cord injury.