title: Low doses of dexamethasone decrease brain water content of collagenase-induced cerebral hematoma.
abstract: Different doses of dexamethasone were evaluated for the treatment of cerebral trauma using a rat model of cerebral hematoma induced by intracerebral (IC) stereotaxic injections of collagenase. Control animals received an intracerebral collagenase injection followed by intraperitoneal (IP) saline injection. Sham operated animals received saline only (IC, IP). Forty-eight hours following the surgeries, the brains were removed from the euthanized animals. Cerebral hemispheres were separated and the 4 coronal sections (antero-posterior plane) were weighed. Each slice was dried for 24 h (100 degrees C) and weighed again to establish brain water content. In hematoma-induced saline treated rats, significant differences in brain water content were observed when compared to sham operated animals. Rats treated with 1 mg/kg dexamethasone had a significant brain water content decrease; however, no significant differences were observed with higher doses of dexamethasone. In conclusion, low doses of dexamethasone seem to be beneficial for the treatment of cerebral trauma.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, C.P. 5000, St-Hyacinthe Québec J2S 7C6. pascal.vachon@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vachon
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Moreau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020202:Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000633:toxicity; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D017364:Collagenases