title: Neuroprotective effects of crocin against traumatic brain injury in mice: Involvement of notch signaling pathway.
abstract: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of crocin, an extract of saffron, on brain damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to controlled cortical impact (CCI)-induced TBI. Pretreatment with crocin (20mg/kg) had protective effects against TBI, demonstrated by improved neurological severity score (NSS) and brain edema, decreased microglial activation and release of several pro-inflammatory cytokines, and decreased cell apoptosis. TBI activated Notch signaling, as shown by upregulated levels of Notch intracellular domain (NICD) and Hes1 mRNA, and pretreatment with crocin further increased Notch activation. However, pretreatment with DAPT (100mg/kg), a gamma-secretase inhibitor, significantly suppressed crocin-induced activation of Notch signaling and attenuated the ability of crocin to protect mice against TBI-induced inflammation and apoptosis. Therefore, these results suggest that crocin has neuroprotective effects against TBI in mice, and these effects are at least partially dependent on activation of Notch signaling.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Rao
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Su
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Hui
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China.
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Peng
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Logistics University of Chinese Armed Police Forces, Chenglin Road, Tianjian 300162, PR China.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Tu
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Logistics University of Chinese Armed Police Forces, Chenglin Road, Tianjian 300162, PR China. Electronic address: zhangsai718@vip.126.com.
authors: Sai
authors: S
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, PR China. Electronic address: feizhou@fmmu.edu.cn.
authors: Zhou
authors: Z
authors: Fei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D002338:Carotenoids; C029036:crocin
keywords: Crocin; Notch; Traumatic brain injury