ENZYME CHANGES IN EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED SPINAL-CORD INJURY IN MONKEYS - EFFECT OF DEXAMETHASONE AND VERAPAMIL

Contusion injury to cord was produced in macaca radiata monkeys. A 50 g lead weight was dropped from a height of 4 cm through a hollow glass tube onto a teflon impounder contoured to fit the dorsal surface of t he exposed dura. A laminectomy extending from D3 to D9 was done in all animals and D7 was selected as the site of injury. Sham operated monk eys were used as controls. One week after trauma two spinal segments, one from the site of injury and another from above the site of injury were collected for biochemical estimations. CSF was tapped by a lumbar puncture before sacrificing the animals. Biochemical changes were obs erved by estimating acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Na+, K+-ATPase and ly sosomal enzymes in the spinal segments in sham controls and in experim ental group. AChE and Na+, K+-ATPase were decreased and lysosomal enzy mes were increased in the traumatised segment. Dexamethasone and verap amil administration for one week produced reversal of some of these en zyme changes. Contusion injury produced motor paralysis in the lower l imbs. The dexamethasone and verapamil treated group showed partial imp rovement in the motor function.