Combined Treatment with Fasudil and Menthol Improves Functional Recovery in Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model

Biomedicines, 2020 · DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8080258 · Published: July 31, 2020

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates a new approach to treating spinal cord injuries (SCI) in rats by combining two drugs: fasudil and menthol. Fasudil is known to help nerve regeneration, while menthol can reduce inflammation and pain. The researchers believe that using both drugs together could lead to better recovery than using either drug alone. They tested this idea by giving rats with spinal cord injuries either fasudil, menthol, both, or no treatment. The results showed that the rats treated with both fasudil and menthol had improved motor function and reduced pain compared to those treated with only one drug or no treatment. This suggests that the combination therapy could be a promising way to improve recovery from SCI.

Study Duration

4 weeks

Participants

46 young adult female Sprague-Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Combined treatment with fasudil and menthol significantly improved locomotor function in rats with SCI, as indicated by higher BBB scores compared to single treatments or the injury-alone group.
2
The combination therapy significantly alleviated neuropathic pain after SCI, as evidenced by increased paw withdrawal thresholds (PWT) compared to single treatments or the injury-alone group.
3
The combined treatment reduced apoptosis, inflammation, and glial/fibrotic scar formation in the injured spinal cord, while promoting angiogenesis and neuroprotection.

Research Summary

This study explores the potential of combined fasudil and menthol treatment to enhance recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The results indicate that the combined treatment significantly improves functional recovery, reduces neuropathic pain, and attenuates apoptosis, inflammation, and glial scar formation. The findings suggest that fasudil and menthol may act synergistically to promote neovascularization and neuroprotection, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Potential

Combined fasudil and menthol treatment may be a promising therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury.

Synergistic Effect

The synergistic effect of fasudil and menthol could lead to more effective SCI treatments.

Clinical Translation

The study provides a basis for further investigation and potential clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of combined fasudil and menthol treatment in human SCI patients.

Study Limitations

1
The exact pathophysiological and pharmacological mechanism of synergism remains to be elucidated.
2
Further study is also needed for the systemic eﬀect of the combined drug treatment
3
Analyzing calcium inﬂux, which participates in the process of apoptosis after injury and which is modulated by menthol is also needed.

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