Experimental Study of Energy Metabolism in the Acute Phase of Spinal Cord Injury.

Shin, Kyun Man

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 1982;11(4): 423-431.

Department of Neurosurgery, Ewha Womans University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

ABSTRACT

It is the purpose of this study to determine the alterations of the metabolism on the feline spinal cord following trauma. Cats were anesthetized with ketamine hydrocloride and injured with a 400 gm-cm impact injury to L-2 level of spinal cord. Biochemical analysis of the injured segment revealed signicifant depletion in the concentrations of adenosine triphosphate(ATP) for the entire 24-hour postinjury period. Glucose concentrations were elevated significantly for the entire 24-hour period, and especially marked elevated between 8 and 24 hours. Lactate concentrations were elevated at 1 hour and between 1 and 4 hours. but especially significantly declined between 8 and 24 hours. This sequence of the metabolic changes suggested that anaerobic metabolism likely predominated for the initial 4 hours, and between 8 and 24 hours there appeared to be an increasing percentage of oxidative metabolism in the remaining metabolically viable tissues.

Key Words: Spinal cord injury; Energy metabolism; ATP; Glucose lactate; Prognostic factors