title: Molecular mechanisms of therapeutic hypothermia on neurological function in a swine model of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the molecular mechanisms by which mild hypothermia following resuscitation improves neurological function in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three inbred Chinese Wuzhishan (WZS) minipigs were used. After 8 min of untreated ventricular fibrillation (VF), the surviving animals (n=29) were randomly divided into two groups including serum group (n=16) and molecular group (n=13). Serum group animals were used to measure porcine-specific tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6, IL-10), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP9), Aquaporin-4 (AQP4), tissue inhibitor to metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B at 0.5 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 72h recovery by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Molecular group animals were used to measure cerebral cortex messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), MMP9 and AQP4 by real-time (RT) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting at 24 h and 72 h recovery. Animals were further divided into either normothermia or hypothermia groups. Hypothermia (33°C) was maintained for 12 h using an endovascular cooling device. Swine neurologic deficit scores (NDS) were used to evaluate neurological function at 24-h and 72-h recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine of the 33 (87.9%) animals were successfully resuscitated. The hypothermia group exhibited higher survival rates at 24 h (75%) and 72 h (62.5%) compared to the normothermia group (37.5% and 25%, respectively). Hypothermia markedly inhibited expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, MMP9 and NSE, and promoted expression of TIMP1 (P<0.01). The mean NDS at 24-h and 72-h recovery was 112.5 and 61, respectively, in the hypothermic group, and 230 and 207.5, respectively, in the normothermia group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brain protection induced by hypothermia involves inhibition of inflammatory and brain edema pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chun-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Zi-Ren
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: Ming-Yue
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013552:Swine; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines