title: Cardiac reactive oxygen species after traumatic brain injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular complications after traumatic brain injury (TBI) contribute to morbidity and mortality and may provide a target for therapy. We examined blood pressure and left ventricle contractility after TBI, and tested the hypothesis that β-adrenergic blockade would decrease oxidative stress after TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rodents received fluid-percussion injury or sham surgery, confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathology. We followed recovery with sensorimotor coordination testing and blood pressure measurements. We assessed left ventricular ejection fraction using ECG-gated cardiac MRI and measured myocardial reactive oxygen species (ROS) with dihydroethidium. We randomized additional TBI and sham animals to postoperative treatment with propranolol or control, for measurement of ROS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood pressure and cardiac contractility were elevated 48 h after TBI. Myocardial tissue sections showed increased ROS. Treatment with propranolol diminished ROS levels following TBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TBI is associated with increased cardiac contractility and myocardial ROS; decreased myocardial ROS after β-blockade suggests that sympathetic stimulation is a mechanism of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA.
authors.forename: Brett E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Stockwell
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boas
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Wellman
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lockette
authors.forename: Kalev
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species