Progesterone is neuroprotective by inhibiting cerebral edema after ischemia.
Ischemic edema can alter the structure and permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Recent studies have reported that progesterone reduces cerebral edema after cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism of this effect has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, progesterone effectively reduced Evans blue extravasation in the ischemic penumbra, but not in the ischemic core, 48 hours after cerebral ischemia in rats. Progesterone also inhibited the down-regulation of gene and protein levels of occludin and zonula occludens-1 in the penumbra. These results indicate that progesterone may effectively inhibit the down-regulation of tight junctions, thereby maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and reducing cerebral edema.
Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
Yuan-Zheng
YZ
Zhao
Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
Min
M
Zhang
Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
Heng-Fang
HF
Liu
Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
Jian-Ping
JP
Wang
Evans blue dye; brain injury; cerebral ischemia; gonadal hormone; ischemic core; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; occludin; penumbra; permeability; rats; zonula occludens-1