Effect of magnesium sulphate in experimental spinal cord injury: evaluation with ultrastructural findings and early clinical results

Excitotoxic mechanisms have been implicated in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCl). The authors have studied the protection against secondary damage to rat spinal cord with magnesium sulphate, a well-known N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist. Rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups. Group 1 rats were controls and normal spinal cord samples were obtained after clinical examination. 50 g-cm contusion injury was introduced to Group 2. Group 3 was vehicle, 1 cc of physiologic saline was injected posttrauma. Group 4 and 5 were treatment groups and 100 mg/kg and, 600 mg/kg of Magnesium sulphate was given immediately after trauma, intraperitoneally. Animals were evaluated with inclined plane, Tarlov motor scale and Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale 24 h after SCI. Spinal cord samples for ultrastructural evaluations were obtained following clinical examinations. Magnesium treatment improved neurological outcome. Electron microscopic results showed obvious neuroprotection in the treatment groups. Application of 600 mg/kg of magnesium revealed better ultrastructural findings and clinical results than 100 mg/kg. These findings demonstrated that magnesium sulphate possesses neuroprotection on spinal cord ultrastructure and on functional scores after acute contusion injury to the rat spinal cord. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.