Ketogenic diet reduces cytochrome c release and cellular apoptosis following traumatic brain injury in juvenile rats.
Ketone bodies have been shown to be favorable alternative metabolic substrates and are protective under neuropathologies. At the same time, cytochrome c release has been reported following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and precipitates apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. The present study investigated the effects of a ketogenic diet (KD) on TBI. TBI was produced using the Feeney weight-drop model and the animals were fed either normal diet (ND) or KD. Brain edema was estimated by wet/dry weight ratio; cytochrome c was detected by Western blotting; cellular apoptosis in the penumbra area was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and active caspase-3 immunohistochemical staining. The results show that brain edema, cytochrome c release, and cellular apoptosis were induced after TBI and that KD reduced these changes dramatically. These findings suggest that KD has potential therapeutic benefit in TBI.
Hu
Zhi Gang
ZG
Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Wang
Han Dong
HD
Jin
Wei
W
Yin
Hong Xia
HX
D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism*; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
D001786:Blood Glucose; D014867:Water; D045304:Cytochromes c; D053148:Caspase 3; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid