The Comparative Effects of Dexamethasone, Nanocurcumin, and Coenzyme Q10 Against Lumbar Laminectomy-Induced Epidural Fibrosis in a Rat Model.

Background: One of the major problems in neurosurgical procedures is fibrosis formation. Therefore, the prevention of fibrosis is an important issue in spinal cord injury that needs to be addressed. No approved therapy has yet been found, and epidural fibrosis (EF) is a huge treatment challenge. In this regard, new drugs that can effectively prevent EF are still being considered. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dexamethasone (DEX), nanocurcumin (Nano-CUR), and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) on the prevention of EF in a rat laminectomy model.

Methods: Thirty-five Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: sham group, laminectomy group, laminectomy + DEX group, in which 0.5 ml DEX (8 mg/ml) was applied locally on the laminectomy area, laminectomy + Nano-CUR group, in which 100 mg/kg Nano-CUR was administered intraperitoneally once a day for 7 days, and laminectomy + CoQ10 group, in which 30 mg/kg CoQ10 was administered once daily intraperitoneally for 7 days. After 4 weeks, the vertebral columns were removed from L1 and L3 and prepared for histopathological assays.

Results: The local administration of DEX could not improve the histological parameters, and EF was induced by laminectomy after 4 weeks. On the other hand, Nano-CUR could ameliorate EF at the laminectomy site compared to the laminectomy group, but the difference was not statistically significant. CoQ10 significantly reduced EF (P < 0.05), collagen density (P < 0.01), and inflammation in the arachnoid layer (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Our findings showed that Nano-CUR and CoQ10 had the potential to be used for treatment of EF.