title: Effects of different corticosteroids on the brain weight and hippocampal neuronal loss in rats.
abstract: Equivalent antiinflammatory doses of steroids including betamethasone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone were administered in the neonatal period in a rat model. In situ cell death in hippocampus quantified by Terminal Deoxynucleated Transferase Nick-End Labeling and on ratio of brain to body weight was investigated. Apoptotic index (AI) was significantly higher in methylprednisolone, and high dose dexamethasone groups than the other groups. AI in "Cornu ammonis 1" (CA1) and "Cornu ammonis 3" (CA3) subregions of high dose dexamethasone group was the highest among the five groups tested. AI in CA3 subregions of methylprednisolone group was also significantly higher than the control, betamethasone and low dose dexamethasone groups. AI in CA1 subregion were not different among control, betamethasone, methylprednisolone and low dose dexamethasone groups. In addition, high dose dexamethasone resulted significant decrease in the ratio of brain weight to body weight in comparison to all other groups tested. In conclusion, betamethasone and low dose dexamethasone may be better alternative treatments among agents tested in this study for chronic lung disease (CLD).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, 20070 Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duksal
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: A Cevik
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tufan
authors.forename: Ilgaz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akdogan
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003907:Dexamethasone; D001623:Betamethasone; D008775:Methylprednisolone