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Öğe BRUCELLAR SPONDYLODISCITIS IN THE CERVICAL REGION(Professional Medical Publications, 2010) Evirgen, Omer; Altas, Murat; Davran, Ramazan; Motor, Vicdan Koksaldi; Onlen, YusufDiagnosis of brucella infection may be difficult, because it can mimic many other diseases. We report a 57-year old man who had presented with the complaints of radiculopathy, and was diagnosed as cervical spondylodiscitis. The spondylodiscitis was diagnosed via rose bengal test, positive serology, and positive culture results after the initial suspicion with magnetic resonance imaging. Streptomycin for 14 days and doxycycline rifampicin for tree months were used for the treatment. Brucellar spondylodiscitis in the cervical region is a rare presentation, beside that prognosis with early diagnosis and adequate treatment is good.Öğe Brucellar spondylodiscitis in the cervical region(2010) Evirgen, Omer; Altas, Murat; Davran, Ramazan; Motor, Vicdan Koksaldi; Onlen, YusufDiagnosis of brucella infection may be difficult, because it can mimic many other diseases. We report a 57-year old man who had presented with the complaints of radiculopathy, and was diagnosed as cervical spondylodiscitis. The spondylodiscitis was diagnosed via rose bengal test, positive serology, and positive culture results after the initial suspicion with magnetic resonance imaging. Streptomycin for 14 days and doxycycline rifampicin for tree months were used for the treatment. Brucellar spondylodiscitis in the cervical region is a rare presentation, beside that prognosis with early diagnosis and adequate treatment is good.Öğe Closed lip schizencephaly: A case report(Dr Behcet Uz Cocuk Hastaliklari Ve Cerrahisi, 2012) Arica, Vefik; Karakus, Ali; Silfeler, Ibrahim; Arica, Secil Gunher; Altas, Murat; Tutanc, Murat; Basarslan, FatmagulSchizencephaly, has been defined as an almost symmetrical bilateral cleft along the cerebral hemisphere. Clinical findings in patients with schizencephaly depends on the type of clefts (on of off type) and the amount of malformed parenchyma. Incidence of schizencephaly is unclear, while a population-based study performed in the United States reported its incidence as 1.54: 100000. These types of cortical developmental malformations had variable clinical signs depending on the function of the affected area which range widely from mental-motor retardation and epilepsy to focal neurological disorders. We also presented a very rare case with bilateral cleft palate aged 4 years who was referred with recurrent afebrile convulsive episodes and diagnosed as schizencephaly, subependimal heterotopia and temporal lobe epilepsy by cranial MRIÖğe Delayed Seizure With Intracranial Sewing Needles(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013) Aras, Mustafa; Altas, Murat; Serarslan, Yurdal; Davran, Ramazan; Bayarogullari, Hanifi; Cagli, SedatPenetrating head injuries are the main cause of intracranial foreign bodies. They can lead to complaints such as headaches and seizures at a later period. We report the case of a patient with sewing needles inserted within the parietal lobe. The primary complaint of the patient was epileptic seizures. The patient was treated with antiepileptic drugs. Surgical intervention was not considered. The removal of intracranial needles is still controversial in the literature. In our case, needles were not removed because the epileptic seizures were successfully treated with antiepileptic medication.Öğe The Dowling-Orlando technique in a giant primary cerebral hydatid cyst: a case report(Via Medica, 2010) Altas, Murat; Serarslan, Yurdal; Davran, Ramazan; Evirgen, Omer; Aras, Mustafa; Yilmaz, NebiHydatid cyst disease is a parasitic illness that is rarely located in the brain. We present a case of a 26-year-old female who complained of headache, nausea, and vomiting. The diagnosis was intracranial hydatid cyst disease and was confirmed with radiological and serological tests. Neurological examination revealed papilloedema and left-sided pyramidal signs. She was operated on using the Dowling-Orlando technique. The cyst was removed without rupture, and therapy was completed with albendazole for a period of four weeks. In this article, we discuss the application of the Dowling-Orlando technique, microsurgery, the Valsalva manoeuvre and the positioning of the patient such that gravity could facilitate surgical removal of a giant cerebral hydatid cyst.Öğe The effect of polymorphisms in the promoter region of the MMP-1 gene on the occurrence and invasiveness of hypophyseal adenoma(Springer Wien, 2010) Altas, Murat; Bayrak, Omer Faruk; Ayan, Erdogan; Bolukbasi, Fatihhan; Silav, Gokalp; Coskun, Kerim Kenan; Culha, MustafaThe matrix metalloproteinase-1 enzyme (MMP-1, also called collagenase 1) plays a key role in turnover of collagen fibers in the intercellular matrix. Insertion of a guanine residue was found within the promoter region of the MMP-1 gene. We found that MMP-1 levels increased approximately twofold over normal when this insertion was present, enabling MMP-1 to facilitate tumor invasion and metastasis. MMP-1 is also believed to play a role in tumor development. The aim of our study is to investigate the effect of polymorphisms in the promoter region of the MMP-1 gene on the development of benign and invasive hypophyseal adenomas. Thirty patients with hypophyseal adenomas diagnosed by radiological examination underwent surgical removal, and the diagnosis was confirmed using immunohistochemical staining of the pathology specimens. We found that ten of these patients had invasive adenomas confirmed by radiological examination and immunohistochemical staining. DNA isolation was performed on all specimens, and 5-cc venous blood samples were obtained from all patients as well as 30 volunteers using the Qiagen QIAquick kit. Promoter regions of MMP-1 genes from the DNA samples were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primers designed for the site-directed mutation method. Following PCR, a guanine residue within the promoter region of the MMP-1 gene was identified using the restriction fragment length polymorphism method and the ALU I restriction enzyme. Three genotypes were detected in a genotyping assay: 2G/2G, 1G/2G, and 1G/1G. Of the surgically treated patients, 36.6% had the 2G/2G genotype, 46.6% had the 1G/2G genotype, and 16.6% had the 1G/1G genotype. The 2G allele frequency was found to be 83.4%. In 90% of cases of invasive adenoma, a homozygous 2G/2G genotype was detected. The risk for development of hypophyseal adenoma may be greater in patients with the 2G allele. In cases of existing hypophyseal adenoma, those with the homozygous 2G allele tend to be invasive.Öğe Effects of tadalafil on ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat brain(Springer Heidelberg, 2014) Altas, Murat; Aras, M.; Meydan, S.; Nacar, E.; Ulutas, K. T.; Serarslan, Y.; Yilmaz, N.Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is caused by lack of blood supply to the brain. The accumulation of toxic products such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) occurs on reperfusion, when the occlusion is removed. The resulting oxidative stress results in the initiation of pathways leading to necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Tadalafil (TAD) prevents the accumulation of ROS and increases antioxidant cellular protective mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TAD treatment against short-term global brain I/R injury in rats. The study was carried out on 30 Wistar-albino rats, which were divided into three groups including a control group (n = 10), an I/R group (n = 10) and an I/R + TAD group (n = 10) (2 mg/kg/day for 4 days before ischemia). At the end of the experiment, tissue samples were collected for both biochemical and histopathological analyses. Malondialdehyde was significantly lower in the TAD-administered group (9.06 +/- A 0.15) than in the I/R group (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in nitric oxide levels in the TAD-administered group compared to the I/R group. The mean superoxide dismutase level was significantly higher in the I/R-TAD group than the I/R group. There was no statistically significant difference in glutathione peroxidase levels in I/R + TAD group compared to I/R group. Histopathologically, TAD-administered group provided significant morphological improvement compared to the I/R group. We concluded that TAD prevented I/R-induced neurotoxicity as shown by obtained biochemical and histopathological findings.Öğe The Expression of MMP-11 In Benign Meningiomas(Journal Neurological Sciences, 2014) Ayan, Erdogan; Uyar, Suheyla Bozkurt; Cerci, Ajlan; Altas, Murat; Bolukbasi, Fatihhan; Elmaci, Ilhan; Sav, AydinThe WHO categorises tumours based on their histological properties; however, this classification falls short of understanding their biological behaviours. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of studies on extracellular matrix components with the aim of understanding the biological behaviours of tumours. MMP-11 is a metalloproteinase from the MMP family that has a different expression pattern, mechanism of action, and substrate range compared with the other members of this family. Of the 55 benign meningioma cases examined, 29 were transitional, 16 were meningothelial, and 8 were fibroblastic in nature. In the meningotheliomatous cases, the MMP-11 expression score was high (75%), whereas it was low in the fibrous cases (87.5%). The Ki-67 levels in the cases with high MMP-11 expression scores were significantly higher than those of cases with low MMP-11 expression scores. Although there was no statistically significant correlation between recurrence and the MMP-11 expression score, 5 out of 7 cases with recurrence were found to have high MMP-11 expression scores. According to our study, MMP-11 is expressed in Grade I meningiomas. The level of MMP-11 expression appears to be high in the meningotheliomatous tumours and low in the fibrous subtypes. The tumours with a high level of MMP-11 expression also demonstrated high Ki-67 values.Öğe Intracranial meningiomas: Two-years experience of Mustafa Kemal University(Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi, 2013) Özgür, Tümay; Altas, Murat; Aras, Mustafa; Atik, Esin; Yaldiz, Mehmet; Yilmaz, NebiMeningiomas are the most common type of brain tumors. We have analyzed clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of meningiomas that were diagnosed and operated in our centre. Twenty three meningioma cases operated in our hospital between 2010-2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Sixteen (69.1%) of cases were female and 7 (30.9%) of cases were male. The age range was 22-75. The most common symptoms of patients were headache, seizure, nausea and vomitting. Localizations of tumors were falx, cortex, sphenoid wing, posterior fossa-tentorium, olphactor, and sulcus. The surgical sizes were graded according to Simpson classification and 16 (69.1%) of cases were Grade 2 and 7 (30.9%) of cases were Grade I. At the histopathological examination; meningotheliomatous type was the most common type followed by fibrous, angiomatous, transitional, psammomatous and atypical types. Meningiomas are usually benign tumors with good prognosis which are often encountered in daily pathology and neurosurgery practice. © 2013 OMU.Öğe Investigation of ACE Genome Insertion/Deletion Correlation with Immunohistochemical Profile in Pituitary Adenomas(Turkish Neurosurgical Soc, 2013) Altas, Murat; Bayrak, Omer Faruk; Serefhan, Alpay; Silav, Gokalp; Coskun, Kerim Kenan; Cerci, Ajlan; Isik, NejatAIM: The deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genome causes neoplastic development in several organs by increasing the angiotensin 2 (A2) formation. In this study, we aimed to identify the ACE genome insertion/deletion polymorphism in pituitary adenomas and to compare it with the control group. MATERIAL and METHODS: Patients operated for pituitary adenomas were included in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from tumoral tissues and peripheral blood samples of the patients by using the Miller method. Primary sequence was selected via targeting the polymorphic region of intron 16 of ACE genome 17q23. DNA samples were multiplied by PCR using HACE3s and HACE3as primers. RESULTS: Twenty-one operated cases were studied. In the study group; 44% of the patients were identified as DID, 33% of them as I/D and 23% of them as I/I. In 60%, D allele was identified. According to immunohistochemical investigation, we found that 100% of the patients with Cushing adenoma were D/D alleles. CONCLUSION: Presence of high rate of ACE genome deletion in patients with pituitary adenoma and grade 3-4 patients suggest that ACE genome polymorphism can be a risk factor for the development of pituitary adenomas.Öğe Microsurgical management of non-neurofibromatosis spinal schwannoma(Elsevier Doyma Sl, 2013) Altas, Murat; Cerci, Ajlan; Silav, Gokalp; Sari, Ramazan; Coskun, Kenan; Balak, Naci; Isik, NejatIntroduction: The aim of this study is to assess the clinical properties and surgical results of patients diagnosed with spinal schwannomas without neurofibromatosis (NF) properties. Patients and methods: The data obtained from 35 patients who underwent resection of spinal schwannomas were analyzed. All cases with neurofibromas and those with a known diagnosis of NF Type 1 or 2 were excluded. 35 patients underwent surgery for spinal schwannoma at our institution between January 1997 and 2010. The data were gathered retrospectively from medical records and included clinical presentation, tumor location and post-operative complications. All cases were surgically excised, and they were confirmed to be schwannomas by pathologists with histopathological sections in paraffin stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Result: We treated 35 (20 males and 15 females) patients with spinal schwannomas. The mean age of the patients was 47.2 (between 13 and 76) years. Of the cases, six schwannomas were located in the cervical spine, four in the thoracic spine, two in cervico-thoracic area, 10 in the thoraco-lumbar area and 13 in the lumbar spine. Two patients had malignant schwannomas that were recurrent. Of the 35 cases, the schwannomas were intradural-extramedullary in 30 cases (86%), intradural-intramedullar in 2 cases (6%), and extradural in 3 cases (9%). Conclusion: Spinal schwannomas may occur at any level of the spinal axis and are most frequently intradural-extramedullary. The most common clinical presentation is pain. Most of the spinal schwannomas in non-NF patients can be resected completely without or with minor post-operative deficits. This knowledge may help us to create a strategy for total resection of a spinal schwannomas. (C) 2011 Sociedad Espanola de Neurocirugia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.Öğe Neurobrucellosis as a rare complication of brucellosis: three pediatric case reports(Aves, 2012) Arica, Vefik; Silfeler, Ibrahim; Altas, Murat; Tutanc, Murat; Arica, Secil Gunher; Evirgen, Omer; Davran, RamazanBrucellosis is a major worldwide zoonosis. The disease is endemic in developing countries, particularly in the Mediterranean basin. Brucellosis is frequently seen in Eastern and South-Eastern Anatolia regions in Turkey. Around 18 000 new cases are reported annually in Turkey. Any organ or system of the body can be involved. Brucellosis is an infection due to Brucella species and is characterized by acute febrile illness, sweating, weakness, and headache. Involvement of the central nervous system is rare in brucellosis. Brucella is continuing to be an important health problem especially who live in the countryside. The clinicians usually rule out neurobrucellosis in the differential diagnosis of brucellosis. The three neurobrucellosis cases presented in this paper referred with various non-specific symptoms. Only the first patient was found to have hydrocephalus on CT imaging, while the CT images of the other patients were normal. The second case had a history of consumption of fresh herby cheese, however the other cases had no such history. These three patients were found to have recovered without sequela during their long term follow up. The aim of this presentation is to draw attention to the importance of neurobrucellosis especially in endemic regions including our country. (Turk Arch Ped 2012; 47: 218-21)Öğe A New Molecule in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Dendroaspis Natriuretic Peptide(Turkish Neurosurgical Soc, 2014) Serefhan, Alpay; Altas, Murat; Cerci, Ajlan; Isik, Nejat; Elmaci, IlhanAIM: Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) is the most recently identified member of the natriuretic peptide family. Although DNP has similar structure and function to other members, it is genetically different. The other members are known to cause vasorelaxation but the effects of DNP on vascular structure still remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to find out the role of DNP in the development of vasospasm following aneurysmal SAH (subarachnoid hemorrhage). MATERIAL and METHODS: DNP levels of 17 patients diagnosed with aneurysmal SAH and 25 volunteers as control were measured. All SAH patients were treated with aneurysm clip. Five ml of venous blood sample was obtained on postoperative 1,3 and 7th days from each patient. Additionally, DNP levels were determined by obtaining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) postoperative 1,3 and 7th days. RESULTS: Statistically significant difference was observed between cerebrospinal fluid DNP levels on day 1 and day 3 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION:This study suggests that DNP can be anticipated among molecules leading development of vasospasm. The findings of present study are believed to encourage further studies regarding receptors and receptor specific drugs.Öğe Non-traumatic spontaneous acute epidural hematoma in a patient with sickle cell disease(Elsevier Doyma Sl, 2014) Serarslan, Yurdal; Aras, Mustafa; Altas, Murat; Kaya, Hasan; Urfali, BoranA 19-year-old female with sickle cell anemia (SCD) was referred to our hospital after two days of hospitalization at another hospital for a headache crisis. This headache crisis was due to a raised intracranial pressure; these symptoms were noted and included in her comprehensive list of symptoms. There was an acute drop in the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. The cranial CT scan demonstrated a left fronto-parietal acute epidural hematoma (AEH) and a calvarial bone expansion, which was suggestive of medullary hematopoiesis. The patient underwent emergent craniotomy and evacuation of the hematoma. There were no abnormal findings intra-operatively apart from the AEH, except skull thickening and active petechial bleeding from the dural arteries. Repeated CT scan showed a complete evacuation of the hematoma. The possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms were discussed. In addition to the factors mentioned in the relevant literature, any active petechial bleeding from the dural arteries on the separated surface of the dura from the skull could have contributed to the expanding of the AEH in our patient. Neurosurgeons and other health care providers should be aware of spontaneous AEH in patients with SCD. (C) 2013 Sociedad Espanola de Neurocirugia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.Öğe Oxidative Status in Epileptic Children Using Carbamazepine(Briefland, 2015) Tutanc, Murat; Aras, Mustafa; Dokuyucu, Recep; Altas, Murat; Zeren, Cem; Arica, Vefik; Ozturk, Oktay HasanBackground: There is an increasing attention towards the relationship between oxidative stress and epilepsy. The effect of antiepileptic drugs on oxidant status is of major interest. Antiepileptic drugs can increase levels of free radicals, which consequently might lead to seizures. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an antiepileptic drug commonly used in childhood and adolescence. Objectives: Therefore we aimed to investigate the effects of CBZ on total antioxidant status, total oxidant stress, and oxidative stress index. Patients and Methods: The study included 40 epileptic patients and 31 healthy children between 4 and 12 years of age. Serum CBZ level, total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status were measured. Oxidative stress index was also calculated both in controls and patients. Results: In the epileptic group, decreased levels of total antioxidant capacity, increased total oxidative stress and oxidative stress index levels were found. Positive correlation between plasma CBZ levels and total oxidant status was observed. Conclusions: Antioxidant action could not be playing any role in antiepileptic effect of CBZ. Furthermore, increased oxidative stress induced by CBZ could be the cause of CBZ-induced seizures. Therefore combining CBZ with antioxidants could be beneficial.Öğe Pediatric neurobrucellosis associated with hydrocephalus(Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, 2010) Altas, Murat; Evirgen, Omer; Arica, Vefi K.; Tutanc, MuratBrucellosis is an infectious disease, frequently encountered in developing countries. It may involve multiple organ systems of the human body. However, neurobrucellosis is a rare complication of brucellosis. The most frequent events of cranial involvement are meningitis and meningoencephalitis. In the present case, a 10-year-old girl was referred to our clinic with fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. The patient's blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures were found positive for brucellosis. Communicating hydrocephalus was also present in the cranial computed tomography as a complication of neurobrucellosis. The patient was successfully treated by external ventricular drainage and triple antibiotic therapy. There was no need to insert a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt.Öğe Percutaneous Kyphoplasty Is Bilateral Approach Necessary?(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2018) Yilmaz, Atilla; Cakir, Murteza; Yucetas, Cem Seyho; Urfali, Boran; Ucler, Necati; Altas, Murat; Aras, MustafaStudy Design. A multicenter retrospective study of patients who underwent unilateral and bilateral balloon kyphoplasty. Objective. The aim of this study was to compare the radiographic and clinical results of unilateral and bilateral balloon kyphoplasty to treat osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Summary of Background Data. Percutaneous kyphoplasty has long been used as a successful method in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Although the bilateral approach is considered to be the mainstay application of percutaneous kyphoplasty, the unilateral approach has also been shown to be sufficient and even more effective in some cases. Methods. A total of 87 patients who underwent percutaneous kyphoplasty due to osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures between 2009 and 2016 were retrospectively evaluated and divided into two groups as patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty. Unilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty was performed in 36 and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty in 51 patients. The groups were compared in terms of clinical outcomes, radiological findings, and complications. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale and Oswestry Disability Index and the radiological findings were evaluated by comparing the preoperative and postoperative day 1 and year 1 values of anterior, middle, and posterior vertebral heights and kyphosis angle. Results. Clinical improvement occurred in both groups but no significant difference was observed. In radiological workup, no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of improvements in vertebral heights and kyphosis angle. Operative time and the amount of cement used for the surgery were significantly lower in the patients that underwent unilateral kyphoplasty. Conclusion. Unilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty is as effective as bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty both radiologically and clinically. Operative time and the amount of cement used for the surgery are significantly lower in unilateral kyphoplasty, which may play a role in decreasing complication rates.Öğe Pituitary apoplexy due to thyroxine therapy in a patient with congenital hypothyroidism(2013) Tutanc, Murat; Altas, Murat; Yengil, Erhan; Ustun, Ihsan; Dolapcioglu, Kenan S.; Balci, Ali; Sefil, FatihA 24-year-old woman was admitted with general weakness, umbilical swelling, developmental delay, speech disorder, constipation, gait problem. Her findings were umbilical hernia, xerosis, dry hair, and short stature. After thyroxine treatment, she also had headache, vomiting, and palpitation, lack of appetite, and sleep disturbance. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneous mass at the central part of the gland on coronal section and it was interpreted as pituitary apoplexy. In the current case, the patient with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) developed pituitary apoplexy (PA) after thyroxine therapy. Therefore, it is suggested that the complaints were related to PA rather than adrenal insufficiency. Here we describe a case report evaluating PA in a patient with thyrotrophic pituitary adenoma due to CH. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case in terms of PA associated with CH after thyroxine therapy in the literature.Öğe Protective Effects of Beta Glucan and Gliclazide on Brain Tissue and Sciatic Nerve of Diabetic Rats Induced by Streptozosin(Hindawi Ltd, 2012) Alp, Harun; Varol, Sefer; Celik, Muhammet Murat; Altas, Murat; Evliyaoglu, Osman; Tokgoz, Orhan; Tanriverdi, Mehmet HalisThere have not been yet enough studies about effects of beta glucan and gliclazide on oxidative stress created by streptozotocin in the brain and sciatic nerve of diabetic rats. The aim of this paper was to investigate the antioxidant effects of gliclazide and beta glucan on oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation created by streptozotosin in brain and sciatic nerve. Total of 42 rats were divided into 6 groups including control, diabetic untreated (DM) (only STZ, diabetic), STZ (DM) + beta glucan, STZ (DM) + gliclazide, only beta glucan treated (no diabetic), and only gliclazide treated (no diabetic). The brain and sciatic nerve tissue samples were analyzed for malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and paraoxonase (PON-1) levels. We found a significant increase in MDA, TOS, and OSI along with a reduction in TAS level, catalase, and PON-1 activities in brain and sciatic nerve of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Also, this study shows that in terms of these parameters both gliclazide and beta glucan have a neuroprotective effect on the brain and sciatic nerve of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. Our conclusion was that gliclazide and beta glucan have antioxidant effects on the brain and sciatic nerve of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.Öğe Protective Effects of Edaravone on Experimental Spinal Cord Injury in Rats(Karger, 2011) Ozgiray, Erkin; Serarslan, Yurdal; Ozturk, Oktay Hasan; Altas, Murat; Aras, Mustafa; Sogut, Sadik; Yurtseven, TaskinBackground: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among youth and adults. Secondary injury mechanisms within the spinal cord (SC) are well known to cause deterioration after an acute impact. Free radical scavengers are among the most studied agents in animal models of SCI. Edaravone is a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals. Methods: We aimed to measure and compare the effects of both methylprednisolone and edaravone on tissue and on serum concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and tissue total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in rats with SCI. SCI was induced in four groups of Wistar albino rats by a weight-drop method. The neurological function of the rats was periodically tested. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected, and SC tissue samples were harvested for biochemical evaluation. Results: The tissue level of NO was decreased in the edaravone-treated group compared with the no-treatment group (p < 0.05). The tissue levels of SOD and GSH-Px were higher in the edaravone-treated group than in the no-treatment group (p < 0.05). The serum levels of NO were lower in the edaravone-treated and methylprednisolone-treated groups than in the no-treatment group (p < 0.05). The serum levels of SOD in the edaravone-treated group did not differ from those of any other group. The serum levels of MDA in the edaravone-treated and no-treatment groups were higher than in the two other groups (p < 0.05). Tissue levels of MDA in the edaravone-treated group were lower than in the no-treatment group (p < 0.05). Tissue levels of TAC in the edaravone-treated group were higher than in the no-treatment and methylprednisolone-treated groups (p < 0.05). The neurological outcome scores of the animals in treatment groups did not depict any statistically significant improvement in motor functions. However, edaravone seemed to prevent further worsening of the immediate post-SCI neurological status. Conclusion: Our biochemical analyses indicate that edaravone is capable of blunting the increased oxidative stress that follows SCI. We show, for the first time, that edaravone enhances the TAC in SC tissue. This beneficial effect of edaravone on antioxidant status may act to minimize the secondary neurological damage that occurs during the acute phase after SCI. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel
