Enhancement in cognitive function recovery by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in a rodent model of traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is characterized by neuronal damage and commonly, secondary cell death, leading to functional and neurological dysfunction. Despite the recent focus of TBI research on developing therapies, affective therapeutic strategies targeting neuronal death associated with TBI remain underexplored. This study explored the efficacy of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) as an intervention for improving cognitive deficits commonly associated with TBI. Although G-CSF has been studied with histological techniques, to date, its effects on functional outcome remain unknown. To this end, we used a closed head injury (CHI) model in Wistar rats that were randomly assigned to one of four groups (untreated TBI, G-CSF treated TBI, G-CSF treated Control, Control). The treatment groups were administered subcutaneous injections of G-CSF 30 min (120 μg/kg) and 12 h (60 μg/kg) post-trauma. The Morris Water Maze test was used to measure any treatment-associated changes in cognitive deficits observed in TBI animals at days 2-6 post-injury. Our findings demonstrate a significant improvement in cognitive performance in the G-CSF treated TBI animals within a week of injury, compared to untreated TBI, indicative of immediate and beneficial effect of G-CSF on cognitive performance post CHI. Our model suggests that early G-CSF exposure may be a promising therapeutic approach in recovery of cognitive deficits due to TBI.
Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Elif M
EM
Sikoglu
Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Meghan E
ME
Heffernan
Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Kelly
K
Tam
Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, 119 Belmont St, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
Kenneth M
KM
Sicard
Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, 119 Belmont St, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
Bernt T
BT
Bratane
Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Meina
M
Quan
Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, 119 Belmont St, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
Marc
M
Fisher
Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. Electronic address: Jean.King@umassmed.edu.
Jean A
JA
King
D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
Animal model; Functional recovery; Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor; Morris Water Maze; Traumatic brain injury