@article{Birgul_Canaz_Ugur_Tokmak_Kasap_Alatas_Canaz_2016, title={Effects of individual or combined use of alpha-lipoic acid and methylprednisolone on malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels in acute spinal cord injury in rats}, volume={6}, url={https://www.jhsci.ba/ojs/index.php/jhsci/article/view/555}, DOI={10.17532/jhsci.2016.409}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> Recent studies have demonstrated that alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has a strong antioxidant property and it exerts neurotrophic effects on the peripheral nerves. In this study, we investigated potential effects of ALA on secondary injury mechanisms as well as on apoptosis.<br><strong>Methods:</strong> Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into 5 groups, as follows: laminectomy (control), laminectomy + trauma (Trauma), laminectomy + posttraumatic methylprednisolone [MP] (Trauma + MP), laminectomy + posttraumatic ALA (Trauma + ALA), laminectomy + posttraumatic MP and ALA (Trauma + MP + ALA). Yasargil aneurysm clip method was used to induce the spinal cord injury. Twenty-four hours after the procedure the rats were sacrificed. Spinal cord samples were harvested to analyze malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) levels, as well as histopathological characteristics.<br><strong>Results:</strong> The Kruskal-Wallis test (95% confidence level, <em>p</em> < 0.05) showed a statistically significant difference between the groups in MDA (<em>p</em> = 0.006), CAT (<em>p</em> = 0.000), and SOD (<em>p</em> = 0.001) levels. Pairwise comparisons, with Bonferroni correction, of control and Trauma group with the other groups, revealed a significant difference in CAT and SOD levels. Overall, our results showed that ALA administration significantly decreased MDA levels in Trauma + ALA compared to the same effect of MP in Trauma + MP group. Furthermore, ALA administration increased SOD and CAT levels in Trauma + ALA group. The combined use of ALA and MP demonstrated synergistic effects and yielded even more significant results.<br><strong>Conclusions:</strong> A combined use of ALA and MP might provide a benefit in patients exposed to spinal cord injury. However, at present, further studies are required to confirm these results.</p>}, number={3}, journal={Journal of Health Sciences}, author={Birgul, Alper and Canaz, Gokhan and Ugur, Murat and Tokmak, Mehmet and Kasap, Metin and Alatas, Ibrahim and Canaz, Huseyin}, year={2016}, month={Dec.}, pages={174–183} }