Amelioration of ischemic spinal cord damage by postischemic treatment with propentofylline (HWA 285)

The effect of the xanthine derivative propentofylline (HWA 285) on metabolic and functional recovery in rabbit spinal cord after 20 and 30 min ischemia and 4 days of reperfusion was investigated. Pre-treatment with 20 mg/kg significantly improved recovery of the energy state in the spinal cord, however, without significant functional recovery of hindlimbs. In contrary, post-treatment with HWA 285 recovered the energy state to pre-ischemic value and also significantly improved functional recovery. These findings suggest that the neuroprotective mechanism of HWA 285 in the spinal cord is not associated with inhibition of glutamate release as supposed to operate in the gerbil brain.