Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE
(ISSN 1009-3095, Monthly)
2005 Vol. 6B No. 1 p.28-32
Effects of β-Aescin on the expression of nuclear factor-κB and tumor necrosis factor-α after traumatic brain injury in rats
XIAO Guo-min*, WEI Jing
(Department of Neurosurgery, Hangzhou Second Hospital, Hangzhou 310015, China)
*E-mail: xgm@zjedu.org
Received July 7, 2004; revision accepted Oct. 15, 2004
Abstract: To investigate the inhibiting effect of β-Aescin on nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat brain, 62 SD rats were subjected to lateral cortical impact injury caused by a free-falling object and divided randomly into four groups: (1) sham operated (Group A); (2) injured (Group B); (3) β-Aescin treatment (Group C); (4) pyrrolidine dithocarbamate (PDTC) treatment (Group D). β-Aescin was administered in Group C and PDTC treated in Group D immediately after injury. A series of brain samples were obtained directly 6 h, 24 h and 3 d respectively after trauma in four groups. NF-κB activation was examined by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA); the levels of TNF-α protein were measured by radio-immunoassay (RIA); the water content of rat brain was measured and pathomorphological observation was carried out. NF-κB activation, the levels of TNF-α protein and the water content of rat brain were significantly increased (P<0.01) following TBI in rats. Compared with Group B, NF-κB activation (P<0.01), the levels of TNF-α protein (P<0.01) and the water content of brain (P<0.05) began to decrease obviously after injury in Groups C and D. β-Aescin could dramatically inhibit NF-κB activation and the expression of TNF-α protein in the rat brain, alleviate rat brain edema, and that could partially be the molecular mechanism by which β-Aescin attenuates traumatic brain edema.
Key words: Brain injuries, β-Aescin, Nuclear factor-κB, Tumor necrosis factor-α, Rats
doi:10.1631/jzus.2005.B0028 CLC number: R65