title: Effects of dexamethasone on trace elements and serum protein patterns following brain trauma in rats.
abstract: The effect of dexamethasone (Dxm) on trace elements and serum protein patterns was investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to brain trauma. After 6- or 24 h of the traumatic incident, the level of serum copper was significantly higher in the Dxm-treated rats, compared to controls (p < 0.05). The corresponding levels of zinc and iron did not show significant differences. The zinc level returned to normal 24 h after trauma. After 6 and 24 h of trauma, the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel patterns of serum proteins showed that a 41.6-kDa protein was significantly increased in the Dxm-treated animals. Two proteins weighing 26.6 kDa and 55.1 kDa did not show Dxm-induced changes. These results suggest that increases in the copper-zinc ratio and the changes of the 26.6- kDa, 41.6-kDa, and 55.1-kDa proteins might be a useful prognostic indicator for severe traumatic brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekin
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berber
authors.forename: Nejmi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiymaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000097:blood*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D014131:Trace Elements; D003907:Dexamethasone