title: Antioxidant carbon particles improve cerebrovascular dysfunction following traumatic brain injury.
abstract: Injury to the neurovasculature is a feature of brain injury and must be addressed to maximize opportunity for improvement. Cerebrovascular dysfunction, manifested by reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF), is a key factor that worsens outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI), most notably under conditions of hypotension. We report here that a new class of antioxidants, poly(ethylene glycol)-functionalized hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs), which are nontoxic carbon particles, rapidly restore CBF in a mild TBI/hypotension/resuscitation rat model when administered during resuscitation--a clinically relevant time point. Along with restoration of CBF, there is a concomitant normalization of superoxide and nitric oxide levels. Given the role of poor CBF in determining outcome, this finding is of major importance for improving patient health under clinically relevant conditions during resuscitative care, and it has direct implications for the current TBI/hypotension war-fighter victims in the Afghanistan and Middle East theaters. The results also have relevancy in other related acute circumstances such as stroke and organ transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors.forename: Brittany R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bitner
authors.forename: Daniela C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Marcano
authors.forename: Jacob M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berlin
authors.forename: Roderic H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Fabian
authors.forename: Leela
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cherian
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Culver
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Claudia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Robia G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Pautler
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tour
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019585:Intracranial Hypotension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D051381:Rats; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon