The effect of the 21-aminosteroid
U74006F on neurologic recovery after a
spinal cord compression trauma was investigated in rats. The compression was induced by a blocking weight technique, in which a 35 g (moderate injury) or a 50 g (severe injury) weight was applied for 5 minutes to an 11 mm2 plate over the midthoracic spinal cord. One hour after
trauma, the severely injured animals were treated either with
U74006F, 3 mg/kg,
methylprednisolone, 30 mg/kg, or vehicle, whereas the moderately injured animals received
U74006F, 3 mg/kg or vehicle. Neurologic hind limb function was evaluated by the inclined plane technique. On day 1 after
trauma, subtotal
paraparesis occurred in the 35 g group treated with vehicle (31 +/- 1 degrees, mean +/- SEM) on the inclined plane vs 64 +/- 1 degrees before
trauma) and complete
paraplegia in the 50 g group (22 +/- 1 degrees). Treatment with
U74006F resulted in less hind limb weakness in the 35 g group (42 +/- 2 degrees) but had no beneficial effect in the 50 g group (25 +/- 2 degrees). Neurologic function gradually improved in the 35 g groups over the 9-day observation period. However, those animals treated with
U74006F were significantly better over the entire period. In the 50 g group, no recovery from
paraplegia was noted over the 4 day observation period in any of the three groups. These results suggest that after weight-induced
spinal cord trauma,
U74006F is associated with improved neurologic function in moderately injured, but not severely injured animals.