title: Punica granatum L. Juice Attenuates Experimental Cerebral Vasospasm in the Rabbit Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Model: A Basilar Artery Morphometric Study and Apoptosis.
abstract: BackgroundThis study investigated the effect ofPunica granatumL. (pomegranate) juice on the rabbit basilar artery in an experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model.MethodsEighteen adult male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: a control group (n= 6), SAH group (n= 6), and SAH + treatment group (n= 6). Basilar artery diameter was measured with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in all groups at the beginning of the study. Experimental SAH was created by injecting autologous arterial blood into the cisterna magna. In the treatment group, the subjects were administered a daily dose of 30 ml/kg pomegranate juice via gastric gavage for 4 days after the SAH. The SAH group and SAH + treatment group underwent cerebral MRA after 72 hours. After a neurologic score assessment, all the animals were killed. The wall thickness and lumen area of the basilar artery were measured histometrically in all groups, and the apoptotic cell percentage in the artery was identified. The mean diameter of the basilar artery during MRA was measured.ResultsPomegranate improved neurologic functions compared with the SAH group (p< 0.01). The mean basilar artery diameter on MRA in the SAH + treatment group was larger than in the SAH group and smaller than in the control group (p< 0.01 andp< 0.05, respectively). The mean vessel wall thickness value in the SAH + treatment group was lower than in the SAH group (p< 0.01), whereas there was no difference between the control and the SAH + treatment group (p> 0.05). The apoptotic cell rate in the SAH + treatment group was significantly lower than in the SAH group (p< 0.001). Evaluation of the basilar artery luminal area showed no difference between the three groups (p> 0.05).DiscussionPomegranate was shown to have a vasospasm- attenuating effect on the basilar artery in the rabbit SAH model for the first time in our study.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Marmara University, School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors: Yahya
authors: Y
authors: Guvenc
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Bursa Sevket Yilmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors: Adnan
authors: A
authors: Demirci
authors: Department of Histology-Embryology, Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Deniz
authors: D
authors: Billur
authors: Department of Histology-Embryology, Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Sevim
authors: S
authors: Aydin
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Aksaray State Hospital, Aksaray, Turkey.
authors: Ersin
authors: E
authors: Ozeren
authors: Department of Histology-Embryology, Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Pinar
authors: P
authors: Bayram
authors: Department of Radiology, Dışkapı Y.B. Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Alper
authors: A
authors: Dilli
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Turgut Ozal University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Emre Cemal
authors: EC
authors: Gokce
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Koc University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Onur
authors: O
authors: Yaman
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Haydar
authors: H
authors: Celik
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Yeni Yüzyıl University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Mete
authors: M
authors: Karatay
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Alagoz
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Marmara University, School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors: Erkan
authors: E
authors: Kaptanoglu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices; D029561:Lythraceae; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology