title: A positive correlation exists between neurotrauma and TGF-β1-containing microglia in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) regulates many processes after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Both Neuro AiD™ (MLC601) and astragaloside (AST) attenuate microglia activation in rats with TBI. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether MLC601 or AST improves output of TBI by affecting microglial expression of TGF-β1.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (120 in number) were used to investigate the contribution of TGF-β1-containing microglia in the MLC601-mediated or the AST-mediated neuroprotection in the brain trauma condition using lateral fluid percussion injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pearson correlation analysis revealed that there was a positive correlation between brain injury (evidenced by both brain contused volume and neurological severity score) and the cortical numbers of TGF-β1-containing microglia for the rats (n = 12) 4 days post-TBI. MLC601 or AST significantly (P < 0·05) attenuated TBI-induced brain contused volume (119 ± 14 mm3or 108 ± 11 mm3vs. 160 ± 21 mm3), neurological severity score (7·8 ± 0·3 or 8·1 ± 0·4 vs. 10·2 ± 0·5) and numbers of TGF-β1-containing microglia (6% ± 2% or 11% ± 3% vs. 79% ± 7%) for the rats 4 days post-TBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a positive correlation between TBI and cortical numbers of TGF-β1-containing microglia which could be significantly attenuated by astragaloside or NeuroAiD™ (MLC601) in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mao-Tsun
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.|Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000070624:Brain Contusion / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C546417:Neuroaid; D012503:Saponins; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014315:Triterpenes; C052064:astragaloside A
keywords: Astragaloside; neuro AiD™ (MLC601); transforming growth factor-β1; traumatic brain injury