Effects of magnesium sulfate on spinal cord tissue lactate and malondialdehyde levels after spinal cord trauma

Abstract

Objective: In the present study, the effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) on tissue lactate and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels after spinal cord trauma (SCT) in rabbits were studied.

Subjects: Thirty New Zeland rabbits. Interventions. The rabbits were divided equally into three groups: group I was the sham- operated group, group II suffered from SCT but received no treatment, group III was given a dose of 100 mg/kg of magnesium sulfate intravenously at 5th minute after SCT. MEASUREMENTS. The lactate and MDA levels were measured in contused spinal cord tissue at 60 minutes after SCT. There was a significant increase of lactate and MDA levels in group II (p < 0.05) when compared with groups I and III, and a significant increase in the level of MDA in group III compared with group I, and also a significant decrease compared with group II, which was the trauma group without treatment (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that magnesium sulfate can attenuate the increase of tissue MDA and supply a normalization of lactate levels following SCT which may be related to the neuroprotective effects of (MgSO4).