title: Protective effect of tert-butylhydroquinone on cerebral inflammatory response following traumatic brain injury in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antioxidant transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been shown in our previous studies to play a crucial role in protection against TBI induced inflammatory response in the brain. The objective of this study was to test whether tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), a novel Nrf2 activator, can protect mice brain against TBI-induced inflammatory damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male ICR mice were randomly divided into three groups: (1) sham+vehicle group; (2) TBI+vehicle group; and (3) TBI+tBHQ group (n=12 per group). Closed head injury was adopted using Hall's weight-dropping method. We measured Nrf2 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) binding activities by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), brain oedema by wet/dry weight method, and cortical apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Induction of the Nrf2 activity by tBHQ markedly decreased NF-κB activation and inflammatory cytokine production in the injured brain. Administration of tBHQ also significantly attenuated TBI-induced brain oedema and cortical apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-treatment with tBHQ could attenuate the cerebral inflammatory response after TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Drum Tower Hospital, 321 Zhongshan Road, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Handong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tianyu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Weibang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000502:physiology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D006873:Hydroquinones; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C018855:2-tert-butylhydroquinone