title: Neuroprotective effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on traumatic brain injury in the rat.
abstract: This study was designed to evaluate the potential benefits of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The right cerebral cortex of rats was injured by the impact of a 20-g object dropped from a predetermined height. The rats received HBO treatment at 3 ATA for 60 min after TBI. Neurological behavior score, brain water content, neuronal loss in the hippocampus, and cell apoptosis in brain tissue surrounding the primary injury site were examined to determine brain damage severity. Three and six hours after TBI, HBO-treated rats displayed a significant reduction in brain damage. However, by 12 h after TBI, the efficacy of HBO treatment was considerably attenuated. Furthermore, at 24, 48, and 72 h after TBI, the HBO treatment did not show any notable effects. In contrast, multiple HBO treatments (three or five times in all), even when started 48 h after TBI, remarkably reduced neurology deficit scores and the loss of neuronal numbers in the hippocampus. Although multiple treatments started at 48 h significantly improved neurological behaviors and reduced brain injury, the overall beneficial effects were substantially weaker than those seen after a single treatment at 6 h. These results suggest that: (1) HBO treatment could alleviate brain damage after TBI; (2) a single treatment with HBO has a time limitation of 12 h post-TBI; and (3) multiple HBO treatments have the possibility to extend the post-TBI delivery time window. Therefore, our results clearly suggest the validity of HBO therapy for the treatment of TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropharmacology, Institute of Nautical Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang-Gen
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zheng-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liang-Liang
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yong-Cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents