title: Comparative Neuroprotective Effects of Dexamethasone and Minocycline during Hepatic Encephalopathy.
abstract: Objective. Encephalopathy and brain edema are serious complications of acute liver injury and may lead to rapid death of patients. The present study was designed to investigate the role of the inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress in the cytotoxic brain oedema and the neuroprotective effects of both minocycline and dexamethasone. Methods. 48 male albino rats were divided into 4 groups: control group, acute liver injury (ALI) group, minocycline pretreated ALI group, and dexamethasone pretreated ALI group. 24 hours after acute liver injury serum ammonia, liver enzymes, brain levels of heme oxygenase-1 gene, iNOS gene expression, nitrite/nitrate, and cytokines were measured. In addition, the grades of encephalopathy and brain water content were assessed. Results. ALI was associated with significant increases in all measured inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress, iNOS gene expression, and nitrite/nitrate. Both minocycline and dexamethasone significantly modulated the inflammatory changes and the oxidative/nitrosative stress associated with ALI. However, only minocycline but not dexamethasone significantly reduced the cytotoxic brain oedema. Conclusion. Both minocycline and dexamethasone could modulate inflammatory and oxidative changes observed in brain after ALI and could be novel preventative therapy for hepatic encephalopathy episodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Zainab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abdel Wahab
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eshra
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rashed
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11562, Egypt ; Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 2Y9.
authors.forename: Nivin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharawy