Clinical and Histopathological Effects of Isotretinoin on Neuroregeneration in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury

Aim: Spinal cord injury is an important problem, and a fully effective treatment for it has not yet been developed. Isotretinoin is a retinoid known for its anti-inflammatory effect. The present study aimed to evaluate whether isotretinoin has a positive impact on neural tissue in post-injury damage. Material and Methods: A total of 36 rats were randomly divided into 6 groups as control, sham, and injury with 14-day 7.5 mg/kg/day, 28-day 7.5 mg/kg/day, 14-day 15 mg/kg/day, and 28-day 15 mg/kg/day isotretinoin groups. Laminectomy was performed and spinal cord injury was produced by using the clip compression technique. Neurological examination was performed on days 1, 7, 14, and 28. After the treatment period, all rats were sacrificed, and their spinal cord samples were collected for histopathological assessment. Results: Groups receiving 7.5 mg/kg/day (p=0.048) and 15 mg/kg/day (p