[Changes in energy metabolism and spinal cord blood flow following severe spinal cord injury]

Using a rat severe spinal cord injury model, serial determinations of local spinal cord blood flow and energy metabolism including ATP, ADP, AMP, energy charges, local tissue oxygen consumption and changes in pH values in the injured spinal cord tissue were compared topographically. Initially, following injury, energy metabolism was increased with increased ATP utilization and within 30 minutes energy metabolites were severely depleted. By 2 hours after spinal cord injury, a state of severe anaerobic metabolism was associated with the depletion of energy metabolites. This severe state of metabolic disruption and energy metabolite depletion, especially ATP, was followed by a progressive disturbance of spinal cord blood flow. By 3 hours following injury, the disturbances of spinal cord blood flow and energy metabolism were equal in severity. This study suggested that in the severely injured rat spinal cord, an initial depletion of energy metabolites creates a disruption of metabolic function which results in a progression of pathophysiological factors including.