title: The Effects of Shilajit on Brain Edema, Intracranial Pressure and Neurologic Outcomes following the Traumatic Brain Injury in Rat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brain edema is one of the most serious causes of death within the first few days after trauma brain injury (TBI). In this study we have investigated the role of Shilajit on brain edema, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, intracranial pressure (ICP) and neurologic outcomes following brain trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diffuse traumatic brain trauma was induced in rats by drop of a 250 g weight from a 2 m high (Marmarou's methods). Animals were randomly divided into 5 groups including sham, TBI, TBI-vehicle, TBI-Shi150 group and TBI-Shi250 group. Rats were undergone intraperitoneal injection of Shilajit and vehicle at 1, 24, 48 and 72 hr after trauma. Brain water content, BBB permeability, ICP and neurologic outcomes were finally measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Brain water and Evans blue dye contents showed significant decrease in Shilajit-treated groups compared to the TBI-vehicle and TBI groups. Intracranial pressure at 24, 48 and 72 hr after trauma had significant reduction in Shilajit-treated groups as compared to TBI-vehicle and TBI groups (P<0.001). The rate of neurologic outcomes improvement at 4, 24, 48 and 72 hr after trauma showed significant increase in Shilajit-treated groups in comparison to theTBI- vehicle and TBI groups (P <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results indicated that Shilajit may cause in improvement of neurologic outcomes through decreasing brain edema, disrupting of BBB, and ICP after the TBI.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaksari
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmmodi
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shahrokhi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.forename: Siavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joukar
authors.forename: Mobin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aqapour
keywords: Brain edema; Intracranial pressure; Rat; Shilajit; Trauma