Comparison of Protective Effects of Gelsolin with Methylprednisolone on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in an Animal Model

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) is a highly devastating disease.In this study, we aimed to determine the neuroprotective effects of gelsolin (GSN) as an alternative treatment to methylprednisolone in an animal model of tSCI.Methods: In this study, adult healthy New Zealand rabbits (n=32) with an average body weight of 2-2.5 kg were utilized.The animals were distributed randomly into four groups (n=8): control, sham, methylprednisolone, and gelsolin groups.Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected on the 0 th and 24 th hours, and spinal cord samples were obtained on the 24 th hour.Results: In between the 24 th -hour results of methylprednisolone and control groups, a statistical significance in terms of CSF GEL (p=0.04),CSF IL-6 (p=0.01),blood CAS-3 (p=0.032), and blood IL-6 (p=0.008)levels was found.In between the 24 th -hour results of gelsolin and control groups, in terms of CSF GEL (p=0.042) and CSF CAS-3 (p=0.010)levels, a statistical significance was also found.There was no significant difference between methylprednisolone and gelsolin groups in terms of CSF IL-6, CAS-3, and blood GEL, IL-6, and CAS-3 levels.Discussion and Conclusion: Given these data, future studies must investigate the physiological mechanisms of gelsolin treatment in traumatic SCI, which may involve higher doses of gelsolin.