Neuroprotective effects of riluzole in neurotrauma models: a review

Physical injury to the central nervous system (CNS) remains one of the main causes of mortality and disability in young adults. Numerous therapies have been successfully evaluated in experimental traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries (TBI, SCI) and, although some of them are currently under clinical trials for these indications, no drug therapy is at present available. Thus, an interesting approach to reduce the CNS injury-induced damage could be the blockade of Na(+)-channels by drugs such as riluzole which is neuroprotective in models of TBI or SCI as summarized in this review. Repeated doses ranging from 2 to 8 mg/kg were administered between 24 h to 10 days post-injury, with a first administration given either at 15 min or up to 6 h post-injury. In these models riluzole was found to reduce both the size of spinal cord and brain lesions as well as brain edema, and to restore the neurological, motor and cognitive impairments consequent of these injuries. The largest therapeutic time window obtained was 1 to 6 h in TBI. This such a compound should be considered as an interesting candidate for the treatment or SCI or TBI.