title: Combined treatment with progesterone and magnesium sulfate positively affects traumatic brain injury in immature rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is well known that head trauma results in damage in hippocampal and cortical areas of the brain and impairs cognitive functions. The aim of this study is to explore the neuroprotective effect of combination therapy with magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) and progesterone in the 7-days-old rat pups subjected to contusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Progesterone (8 mg/kg) and MgSO4 (150 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally immediately after induction of traumatic brain injury. Half of groups were evaluated 24 hours later, the remaining animals 3 weeks after trauma or sham surgery. Anxiety levels were assessed with open field activity and elevated plus maze; learning and memory performance were evaluated with Morris Water maze in postnatal 27 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Combined therapy with progesterone and magnesium sulfate significantly attenuated trauma-induced neuronal death, increased brain VEGF levels and improved spatial memory deficits that appear later in life. Brain VEGF levels were higher in rats that received combined therapy compared to rats that received either medication alone. Moreover, rats that received combined therapy had reduced hipocampus and prefrontal cortex apoptosis in the acute period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that combination of drugs with different mechanisms of action may be preferred in the treatment of head trauma.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Izmir, Turkey. nazan.uysal@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: Muge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiray
authors.forename: Ferihan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Ilkay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.forename: Ayfer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dayi
authors.forename: Tugba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gurpinar
authors.forename: Durgul
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: M Nuri
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Arda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017209:Apoptosis; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011374:Progesterone; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate