Protective effect of erythropoietin on type II pneumocyte cells after traumatic brain injury in rats.
BACKGROUND
The main objective was to evaluate the protective effect of erythropoietin on lung ultrastructure against damage in rats after traumatic brain injury.


METHODS
We used forty Wistar-Albino female rats weighing 170-200 gr. The rats were allocated into five groups. The first group was the control and the second was the craniotomy without trauma. The third group was the trauma group. The fourth and fifth groups were erythropoietin (1000 IU/kg) and vehicle (0.4 mL/rat) groups, respectively. A weight-drop method was used for achieving head trauma. Samples were obtained from pulmonary lobes 24-hour post injury. Lipid peroxidation levels were determined and electron microscopic scoring model was used to reveal the ultrastructural changes.


RESULTS
Ultrastructural evaluation revealed pathologic changes in the trauma group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Lipid peroxidation levels were found to be higher in the trauma group (p < 0.05). Erythropoietin significantly reduced both the ultrastructural pathologic changes and the lipid peroxidation levels in the treatment group (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Erythropoietin protects the ultrastructure of pneumocyte type II cells against damage after traumatic brain injury.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. erseyda@yahoo.com
Erkan
E
Yildirim
Kanat
K
Ozisik
Ihsan
I
Solaroglu
Erkan
E
Kaptanoglu
Ethem
E
Beskonakli
Mustafa F
MF
Sargon
Kamer
K
Kilinc
Unal
U
Sakinci
D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D004921:Erythropoietin