Darbepoetin α ameliorates neuronal damage in a rat model of acute ethanol intoxication.
OBJECTIVE
Acute ethanol intoxication has been shown to cause oxidative damage in many organ systems including the brain. Erythropoietin has antioxidant effects and prevents neuronal damage in the animal model of ischemic brain injury. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of darbepoetin alpha, an analog of erythropoietin with a longer half-life and higher in vivo activity, on ethanol-induced acute brain injury.


METHODS
Forty-eight Wistar albino rats were allocated to four groups. The first group received ethanol treatment (E), the second group was treated with ethanol and darbepoetin (ED), the third group received only saline treatment (S), and the fourth group received both saline and darbepoetin treatment (SD). Plasma S100-β and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels were measured. Histopathological evaluation of the brains was performed.


RESULTS
The plasma S100-β and NSE levels were significantly lower in group ED compared with group E. In group E, we have observed focal red-neuron formation at the granular layer of the dentate gyrus. We did not observe any histopathological changes in the other groups (ED, S, and SD).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that darbepoetin alpha has neuroprotective effect in acute ethanol intoxication, possibly through its antioxidant effect.
T.C. Ministry of Health Haydarpasa Numune Research and Training Hospital, Internal Medicine Clinic, Hemodialysis Unit, Istanbul, Turkey. seymano@yahoo.com
Pinar
P
Seymen
Erman
E
Aytac
Fehim
F
Esen
Cigdem
C
Tel
Fatih
F
Demir
Habibe
H
Genc
Hafize
H
Uzun
Buge
B
Oz
Tuncay
T
Altug
Hakki Oktay
HO
Seymen
D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D000431:Ethanol