The lack of an effective pharmaceutical agent for spinal cord injury (SCI) is a current problematic situation for clinicians, as the rate of motor vehicle accidents among young adults is on the rise. SCI contributes to the high disability rate. Presently, evidences detailing the precise pathological mechanisms in SCI are limited, compounding to the unavailability of an effective treatment method. Surgery, though not a complete curative method, is useful in managing some of the associated symptoms of secondary SCI. Autophagy and inflammation are contributive factors to both exacerbation and improvement of SCI. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is a key player in the regulation of inflammatory response and autophagy. Valproic acid (VPA), a clinically used antiepileptic drug, has been suggested to improve neurological conditions, including SCI. This report reviewed the correlation between mTOR and autophagy, as well as autophagy’s role and the therapeutic effects of VPA in SCI. VPA regulates autophagy by potentially inhibiting mTORC1, a complex of mTOR, while also hindering inflammatory response. Conclusively, an effective treatment for SCI could lie in the timely regulation of mTOR signaling pathway, and VPA could be the potential drug that improves SCI owing to its propensity to regulate the mTOR signaling pathway.

缺乏有效的脊髓损伤 (SCI) 药剂是临床医生目前面临的一个问题，因为年轻人中机动车事故的发生率正在上升。SCI导致高残疾率。目前，详细说明 SCI 的确切病理机制的证据有限，这导致无法获得有效的治疗方法。手术虽然不是一种完整的治疗方法，但可用于治疗继发性 SCI 的一些相关症状。自噬和炎症是 SCI 恶化和改善的促成因素。哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白 (mTOR) 信号通路是调节炎症反应和自噬的关键参与者。丙戊酸（VPA），一种临床使用的抗癫痫药物，已被建议改善神经系统疾病，包括 SCI。本报告回顾了mTOR与自噬的相关性，以及自噬在SCI中的作用和VPA的治疗作用。VPA 通过潜在地抑制 mTORC1（一种 mTOR 的复合物）来调节自噬，同时也阻碍炎症反应。综上所述，SCI的有效治疗可能在于及时调节mTOR信号通路，而VPA可能是改善SCI的潜在药物，因为它具有调节mTOR信号通路的倾向。