title: Neuroprotection by erythropoietin administration after experimental traumatic brain injury.
abstract: A large body of evidence indicates that the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) exerts beneficial effects in the central nervous system (CNS). To date, EPO's effect has been assessed in several experimental models of brain and spinal cord injury. This study was conducted to validate whether treatment with recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) would limit the extent of injury following experimental TBI. Experimental TBI was induced in rats by a cryogenic injury model. rHuEPO or placebo was injected intraperitoneally immediately after the injury and then every 8 h until 2 or 14 days. Forty-eight hours after injury brain water content, an indicator of brain edema, was measured with the wet-dry method and blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown was evaluated by assay of Evans blue extravasation. Furthermore, extent of cerebral damage was assessed. Administration of rHuEPO markedly improved recovery from motor dysfunction compared with placebo group (P<0.05). Brain edema was significantly reduced in the cortex of the EPO-treated group relative to that in the placebo-treated group (80.6+/-0.3% versus 91.8%+/-0.8% respectively, P<0.05). BBB breakdown was significantly lower in EPO-treated group than in the placebo-treated group (66.2+/-18.7 mug/g versus 181.3+/-21 mug/g, respectively, P<0.05). EPO treatment reduced injury volume significantly compared with placebo group (17.4+/-5.4 mm3 versus 37.1+/-5.3 mm3, P<0.05). EPO, administered in its recombinant form, affords significant neuroprotection in experimental TBI model and may hold promise for future clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurosurgical Clinic, University of Palermo, Italy. ggrasso@unipa.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sfacteria
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fodale
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buemi
authors.forename: Domenico G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Iacopino
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005070:Evans Blue; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D005070:Evans Blue