Treatment of traumatic brain injury with thymosin β₄ in rats.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of delayed thymosin β(4) (Tβ(4)) treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.


METHODS
Young adult male Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: 1) sham group (6 rats); 2) TBI + saline group (9 rats); 3) and TBI + Tβ(4) group (10 rats). Traumatic brain injury was induced by controlled cortical impact over the left parietal cortex. Thymosin β(4) (6 mg/kg) or saline was administered intraperitoneally starting at Day 1 and then every 3 days for an additional 4 doses. Neurological function was assessed using a modified neurological severity score (mNSS), foot fault, and Morris water maze tests. Animals were killed 35 days after injury, and brain sections were stained for immunohistochemistry to assess angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and oligodendrogenesis after Tβ(4) treatment.


RESULTS
Compared with the saline treatment, delayed Tβ(4) treatment did not affect lesion volume but significantly reduced hippocampal cell loss, enhanced angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the injured cortex and hippocampus, increased oligodendrogenesis in the CA3 region, and significantly improved sensorimotor functional recovery and spatial learning.


CONCLUSIONS
These data for the first time demonstrate that delayed administration of Tβ(4) significantly improves histological and functional outcomes in rats with TBI, indicating that Tβ(4) has considerable therapeutic potential for patients with TBI.
Xiong
Ye
Y
Department of Neurosurgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA. nsxye@neuro.hfh.edu
Mahmood
Asim
A
Meng
Yuling
Y
Zhang
Yanlu
Y
Zhang
Zheng Gang
ZG
Morris
Daniel C
DC
Chopp
Michael
M
D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013947:Thymosin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)
D013947:Thymosin; D000099201:Thymosin beta(4)