Effect of erythropoietin on brain tissue after experimental head trauma in rats.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of EPO on LPO, on ultrastructural findings, and on antiapoptotic bcl-2 and survivin gene expressions after TBI. The authors also compared the activity of EPO with that of MPSS.


METHODS
Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups: sham-operated, control, moderate TBI-alone (300 g/cm), TBI + EPO-treated (1000 IU/kg), TBI + MPSS-treated (30 mg/kg), and TBI + vehicle-treated (0.4 mL albumin solution) groups.


RESULTS
Compared with the levels in control and sham-operated animals, LPO was significantly elevated in rats in the trauma-alone group. The administration of EPO and MPSS significantly decreased the LPO levels (P < .05). Trauma also increases the antiapoptotic bcl-2 gene expression significantly at 24 hours postinjury (P < .05), but it has no effect on survivin expression. The EPO and MPSS treatments caused significant elevation in both gene expressions (P < .05). It is also showed that MPSS has more protective effect than EPO on brain ultrastructure, especially on the structure of small- (P < .05) and medium-sized myelinated axons, after TBI.


CONCLUSIONS
EPO has protective effects after moderate TBI, and this effect seems better than MPSS on antiapoptotic gene expression and LPO. The protection of cerebral subcellular organelles after traumatic injury is more prominent in MPSS-treated animals than EPO-treated animals quantitatively. This experimental study indicates that the benefits of EPO in the management of TBI have promising results and prompts further studies on the difference between EPO and MPSS in histopathological findings at the subcellular level.
Akdemir Ozisik
Pinar
P
Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Sihhiye, 06100, Ankara, Turkey. pozisik@hacettepe.edu.tr
Oruckaptan
Hakan
H
Ozdemir Geyik
Pinar
P
Misirlioglu
Muge
M
Sargon
Mustafa F
MF
Kilinc
Kamer
K
Ozgen
Tuncalp
T
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000077022:Survivin
C516989:Birc5 protein, rat; D005609:Free Radicals; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D004921:Erythropoietin