Effect of Noncompetitive Blockade of N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors on the Neurochemical Sequelae of Experimental Brain Injury

Pharmacological inhibition of excitatory neurotransmission attenuates cell death in models of global and focal ischemia and hypoglycemia, and improves neurological outcome after experimental spinal cord injury. The present study examined the effects of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blocker MK-801 on neurochemical sequelae following experimental fluid-percussion brain injury in the rat. Fifteen minutes after fluid-percussion brain injury (2.8 atmospheres), animals received either MK-801 (1 mg/kg, i.v.) or saline. MK-801 treatment significantly attenuated the development of focal brain edema at the site of injury 48 h after brain injury, significantly reduced the increase in tissue sodium, and prevented the localized decline in total tissue magnesium that was observed in injured tissue of saline-treated animals. Using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we also observed that MK-801 treatment improved brain metabolic status and promoted a significant recovery of intracellular free magnesium concentrations that fell precipitously after brain injury. These results suggest that excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters may be involved in the pathophysiological sequelae of traumatic brain injury and that noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists may effectively attenuate some of the potentially deleterious neurochemical sequelae of brain injury.     

甲泼尼龙琥珀酸钠对外伤性脑水肿患者血清NO、ET、LPO和SOD水平的影响

目的:观察甲泼尼龙琥珀酸钠用于治疗外伤性脑水肿的疗效及对患者血清一氧化氮(NO)、内皮素(ET)、过氧化脂质(LPO)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)水平的影响。方法:选择我院2014年11月~2016年11月收治的104例外伤性脑水肿患者,按治疗方式分为对照组与研究组,每组52例。对照组采用常规治疗,研究组在对照组基础上联合甲泼尼龙琥珀酸钠治疗,两组均持续治疗7天。观察并比较两组临床疗效,治疗前后血清NO、ET、LPO、SOD水平、脑水肿体积、神经功能缺损程度评分(NIHSS)、格拉斯哥昏迷评分(GCS)的变化及并发症的发生情况。结果:治疗后,研究组的治疗总有效率高于对照组(P0.05);两组血清NO、SOD、GCS水平均较治疗前显著上升,且研究组明显高于对照组;两组血清ET、LPO、NIHSS、脑水肿体积均较治疗前明显降低,且研究组显著低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组并发症的发生情况比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:甲泼尼龙琥珀酸钠可显著提高外伤性脑水肿的临床疗效,可能与其能够有效调节血清NO、ET、LPO、SOD水平有关。     

大鼠神经源性肺水肿时交感神经放电活动、血浆儿茶酚胺含量及肺表面活性物质的改变

红藻氨酸(kainic acid,KA)注入大鼠双侧下丘脑外侧视前区(POA)复制神经源性肺水肿(NPE),观察左侧交感神经肾上腺支放电活动,测定血浆儿茶酚胺含量及肺泡灌洗液中肺表面活性物质(pulmonary surfactant,PS)物理特性变化。大鼠 POA 注入 KA 后交感神经放电频率迅速增加,(?)O和60min 时分别增加22.8±7.2%和32.2±8.0%。血浆儿茶酚胺含量增高,在30和60min 时最明显。PS 物理特性也有变化,最大表面张力降低,最小表面张力升高,回弹系数及稳定系数均下降,迟滞环面积缩小。实验结果表明:早期即有 PS 活性变化,交感神经神经放电活动和血浆儿茶酚胺含量变化在时间上相平行。这种神经源性肺水肿的发生可能与下丘脑水平自主神经功能紊乱、交感神经发放增加、血浆儿茶酚胺增多有关,PS 表面活性下降也有一定作用。     

Overexpression of long noncoding RNA Malat1 ameliorates traumatic brain injury induced brain edema by inhibiting AQP4 and the NF-κB/IL-6 pathway

Brain edema is a major traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related neurological complication. In the initiation stage of TBI, brain edema is characterized by astrocyte swelling (cytotoxic edema). We studied the impact of a long noncoding RNA, Malat1, on the TBI-induced astrocyte swelling and brain edema. Our results showed that Malat1 was downregulated in both the TBI rat model and the astrocyte fluid percussion injury (FPI) model, which concurred with brain edema and astrocyte swelling. Overexpression of Malat1 significantly inhibited rat brain edema, meanwhile reducing interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) expression after TBI. In addition, overexpression of Malat1 ameliorated FPI-induced astrocyte swelling and reduced IL-6 release. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis also corroborated the inhibitory effects of Malat1 on NF-κB and AQP4 expression after FPI. Our results highlighted the protective effects of Malat1 on the TBI-induced brain edema, which were mediated through regulating IL-6, NF-κB, and AQP4 expression. Our study could provide a novel approach for TBI treatment.     

Octanoic Acid Inhibits Astrocyte Volume Control: Implications for Cerebral Edema in Reye's Syndrome

Abstract Octanoic acid has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cytotoxic cerebral edema in Reye's syndrome. Using astrocytes from primary culture, we studied the dose-dependent effects of octanoate on cellular volume regulation and metabolism. Astrocyte volume recovery following hypoosmotic swelling was stimulated by 1.0 m M octanoate and inhibited by 3.0 m M octanoate. Parallel effects were obtained at these concentrations on the activity of the Na⁺,K⁺-depen-dent ATPase. Cellular ATP concentrations also were reduced 36% with the higher octanoate concentration. These effects of octanoate may contribute to the severe astrocyte swelling observed in the brains of Reye's syndrome patients.     

Features of anti‐inflammatory effects of modulated extremely high‐frequency electromagnetic radiation

Using a model of acute zymosan‐induced paw edema in NMRI mice, we test the hypothesis that anti‐inflammatory effects of extremely high‐frequency electromagnetic radiation (EHF EMR) can be essentially modified by application of pulse modulation with certain frequencies. It has been revealed that a single exposure of animals to continuous EHF EMR for 20 min reduced the exudative edema of inflamed paw on average by 19% at intensities of 0.1–0.7 mW/cm² and frequencies from the range of 42.2–42.6 GHz. At fixed effective carrier frequency of 42.2 GHz, the anti‐inflammatory effect of EHF EMR did not depend on modulation frequencies, that is, application of different modulation frequencies from the range of 0.03–100 Hz did not lead to considerable changes in the effect level. On the contrary, at “ineffective” carrier frequencies of 43.0 and 61.22 GHz, the use of modulation frequencies of 0.07–0.1 and 20–30 Hz has allowed us to restore the effect up to a maximal level. The results obtained show the critical dependence of anti‐inflammatory action of low‐intensity EHF EMR on carrier and modulation frequencies. Within the framework of this study, the possibility of changing the level of expected biological effect of modulated EMR by a special selection of combination of carrier and modulation frequencies is confirmed. Bioelectromagnetics 30:454–461, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Effect of head-down tilt on brain water distribution

Vascular and tissue fluid dynamics in the microgravity of space environments is commonly simulated by head-down tilt (HDT). Previous reports have indicated that intracranial pressure and extracranial vascular pressures increase during acute HDT and may cause cerebral edema. Tissue water changes within the cranium are detectable by T2 magnetic resonance imaging. We obtained T2 images of sagittal slices from five subjects while they were supine and during -13 degrees HDT using a 1.5-Tesla whole-body magnet. The analysis of difference images demonstrated that HDT leads to a 21% reduction of T2 in the subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartment and a 11% reduction in the eyes, which implies a reduction of water content; no increase in T2 was observed in other brain regions that have been associated with cerebral edema. These findings suggest that water leaves the CSF and ocular compartments by exudation as a result of increased transmural pressure causing water to leave the cranium via the spinal CSF compartment or the venous circulation.