Functional Recovery Promotion After Spinal Cord Injury With Astaxanthin Treatment in Preclinical Studies: A...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Astaxanthin possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune-modulating, and antiaging properties.
• These properties make astaxanthin a potential therapeutic agent for spinal cord injuries (SCIs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of astaxanthin on spinal cord injury (SCI) in animal models through a meta-analysis.
• To evaluate astaxanthin's efficacy in improving motor function and its impact on biochemical markers.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
• Data extraction and meta-analysis were performed using STATA software, employing standardized mean difference (SMD) for results.
• Inclusion/exclusion criteria, subgroup analysis, and quality control were applied to selected studies.

Main Results:

• Astaxanthin demonstrated a significant positive effect (SMD = 3.34; p < 0.001) on improving motor function post-SCI, particularly with multiple daily doses.
• Treatment with astaxanthin effectively reduced lipid peroxidation and increased antioxidant levels.
• Astaxanthin administration led to increased spinal cord neuron counts and white matter sparing.

Conclusions:

• Astaxanthin shows considerable potential as an adjuvant therapy for enhancing motor behavior recovery after spinal cord injury.
• Further clinical studies are recommended to validate these findings in human patients.