Evaluating the effect of Betaine on the healing rate of experimental spinal cord lesion in rat

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 DVM Student, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Clinical Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

4 Department of Surgery and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Spinal cord injury is a destructive neurological and pathological condition that causes disturbances in sensory, motor and autonomic actions. Betaine has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, osmotic protection, and neuroprotection effects and maybe effective intervention in spinal cord injury. This study investigates the effects of Betaine in functional and histopathological improvement after experimental spinal cord injury in rats. In this study, 40 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. First group had no spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury was caused by NYU (New York University) impactor in all other groups. The second (control) group left without therapeutic intervention with betaine and three therapeutic groups were prescribed orally with betaine daily at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Basso- Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) test was performed once a week to evaluate the motor performance. The spinal cord tissue was collected after 28 days for histopathological studies. BBB test results shows a significant difference in the group which was treated with betaine 200 mg/kg compared to the other groups. (P<0.05) The histological results showed a significant decrease in gliosis with vacuoles, cystic degeneration and axonal degeneration in the 200 and 100 mg/kg groups compared to the other groups. (P<0.05)

In conclusion, Administration of betaine at a dose of 200 mg/kg for 28 days may improve histological healing and motor performance in rats with experimental spinal cord lesion.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 January 2025

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