title: Therapeutic benefit of urocortin in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for about 15% of all deaths due to stroke. It frequently causes brain edema, leading to an expansion of brain volume that exerts a negative impact on ICH outcomes. The ICH-induced brain edema involves inflammatory mechanisms. The authors' in vitro study shows that urocortin (UCN) exhibits antiinflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Therefore, the neuroprotective effect of UCN on ICH in rats was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intracerebral hemorrhage was induced by an infusion of bacteria collagenase type VII-S or autologous blood into the unilateral striatum of anesthetized rats. At 1 hour after the induction of ICH, UCN (0.05, 0.5, and 5 μg) was infused into the lateral ventricle on the ipsilateral side. The authors examined the injury area, brain water content, blood-brain barrier permeability, and neurological function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The UCN, administered in the ipsilateral lateral ventricle, was able to penetrate into the injured striatum. Posttreatment with UCN reduced the injury area, brain edema, and blood-brain barrier permeability and improved neurological deficits of rats with ICH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Posttreatment with UCN through improving neurological deficits of rats with ICH dose dependently provided a potential therapeutic agent for patients with ICH or other brain injuries.
authors: Department of Medical Research, Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors: Hock-Kean
authors: HK
authors: Liew
authors: Chih-Wei
authors: CW
authors: Hsu
authors: Mei-Jen
authors: MJ
authors: Wang
authors: Jon-Son
authors: JS
authors: Kuo
authors: Ting-Yi
authors: TY
authors: Li
authors: Hsiao-Fen
authors: HF
authors: Peng
authors: Jia-Yi
authors: JY
authors: Wang
authors: Cheng-Yoong
authors: CY
authors: Pang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054832:Urocortins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D054832:Urocortins