title: Neuroprotective Effects of Thymoquinone on the Hippocampus in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We evaluated the neuroprotective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury by using biochemical and histopathologic methods for the first time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four rats were divided into sham (n = 8), trauma (n = 8), and TQ-treated (n = 8) groups. A moderate degree of head trauma was induced with the use of Feeney's falling weight technique, and TQ (5 mg/kg/day) was administered to the TQ-treated group for 7 days. All animals were killed after cardiac perfusion. Brain tissues were extracted immediately after perfusion without damaging the tissues. Biochemical procedures were performed with the serum, and a histopathologic evaluation was performed on the brain tissues. Biochemical experiments included malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced and oxidized coenzyme Q10 analysis, DNA isolation and hydroylazation, and glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neuron density in contralateral hippocampal regions (CA1, CA2-3, and CA4) 7 days after the trauma decreased significantly in the trauma and TQ-treated groups, compared with that in the control group. Neuron densities in contralateral hippocampal regions (CA1, CA2-3, and CA4) were greater in the TQ-treated group than in the trauma group. TQ did not increase superoxide dismutase or glutathione peroxidase antioxidant levels. However, TQ decreased the MDA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that TQ has a healing effect on neural cells after head injury and this effect is mediated by decreasing MDA levels in the nuclei and mitochondrial membrane of neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yüzüncü Yıl University, School of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: İsmail
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Gülşen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Bozok University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey. Electronic address: nrsdrhakanak@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ak
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Yüzüncü Yıl University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Neşe
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Çölçimen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Yüzüncü Yıl University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hamit H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Alp
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yüzüncü Yıl University, School of Medicine, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Akyol
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Pamukkale University, School of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: İsmail
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Bozok University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tugay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Yüzüncü Yıl University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ragıp
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balahroğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Yüzüncü Yıl University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat Ç
authors.initials: MÇ
authors.lastname: Rağbetli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016227:Benzoquinones; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D014451:Ubiquinone; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C024989:coenzyme Q10; C003466:thymoquinone
keywords: Malondialdehyde; Neuron density; Stereology; Thymoquinone; Traumatic brain injury