Effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on functional and histopathologic outcome after traumatic brain injury in mice.
OBJECTIVE
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor has been used to reduce the risk of sepsis in patients with traumatic brain injury. However, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor exerts potent pro- and anti-inflammatory effects that could influence secondary injury, and outcome, after traumatic brain injury. Our objective was to determine the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on histopathologic, motor, and cognitive outcome after experimental traumatic brain injury in mice.


METHODS
Experimental study.


METHODS
Research laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.


METHODS
Forty-eight adult male C57Bl/6 mice.


METHODS
Mice (8 wks of age, n = 16/group) were administered granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or saline subcutaneously twice per day for 7 days after controlled cortical impact or sham injury (n = 16). Absolute neutrophil counts, motor function, Morris water maze performance, and lesion volume were determined after controlled cortical impact or sham injury.


RESULTS
At the time of controlled cortical impact, body weight, brain and body temperature, and systemic absolute neutrophil counts did not differ between groups. Compared with control, systemic absolute neutrophil count was increased more than ten-fold in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-treated mice on posttrauma days 2 and 7 (p < .05, repeated-measures analysis of variance) but did not differ between groups by day 14. There were no differences between groups in tests of motor function or histopathologic outcome. However, compared with control, mice given granulocyte colony-stimulating factor had improved Morris water maze performance after controlled cortical impact (p < .05, repeated-measures analysis of variance) but not sham injury.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest a small beneficial effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on functional outcome after traumatic brain injury in adult mice but do not show differences in histopathology or motor outcome between treated and control groups.
Sheibani
Negar
N
Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, The Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Grabowski
Eric F
EF
Schoenfeld
David A
DA
Whalen
Michael J
MJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D001835:Body Weight; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018737:Hand Strength; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor