title: Effects of beta-Aescin on the expression of nuclear factor-kappaB and tumor necrosis factor-alpha after traumatic brain injury in rats.
abstract: To investigate the inhibiting effect of beta-Aescin on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) 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) beta-Aescin treatment (Group C); (4) pyrrolidine dithocarbamate (PDTC) treatment (Group D). Beta-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-kappaB activation was examined by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA); the levels of TNF-alpha protein were measured by radio-immunoassay (RIA); the water content of rat brain was measured and pathomorphological observation was carried out. NF-kappaB activation, the levels of TNF-alpha protein and the water content of rat brain were significantly increased (P<0.01) following TBI in rats. Compared with Group B, NF-kappaB activation (P<0.01), the levels of TNF-alpha protein (P<0.01) and the water content of brain (P<0.05) began to decrease obviously after injury in Groups C and D. Beta-Aescin could dramatically inhibit NF-kappaB activation and the expression of TNF-alpha protein in the rat brain, alleviate rat brain edema, and that could partially be the molecular mechanism by which beta-Aescin attenuates traumatic brain edema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hangzhou Second Hospital, Hangzhou 310015, China. xgm@zjedu.org
authors.forename: Guo-min
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004928:Escin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013859:Thiocarbamates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D013859:Thiocarbamates; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C020972:pyrrolidine dithiocarbamic acid; D004928:Escin