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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 5, 2014
[Experimental study on protective effects of dexamethasone on traumatic brain injury in rats]
Xiao-dong Du1, Hong Li, Lin Liao
1Department of Emergency, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Objective:
To investigate the changes of NF-kappaB in brain tissue after the treatment of naloxone in rats with traumatic brain injury, and to explore the protective effects and its mechanisms of dexamethasone on TBI.
Methods:
The rat model of severe brain injury was produced by gas percussion. The histopathological changes of brain tissue were observed by HE stain. The expression of NF-kappaB in brain tissue was detected by immunohistochemical method.
Results:
After traumatic brain injury, the expression of NF-kappaB in rat brain tissue significantly increased at 6 h (P<0.05) and reached the peak value at 48 h, then the increased level of NF-kappaB lower down slightly and maintained at quite high level to 120 h after TBI (P<0.01). With the treatment of dexamethasone, the expression level of NF-kappaB decreased significantly (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
Dexamethasone showed protective effects by regulating the levels of NF-kappaB and relieved the second injury caused by the inflammatory cytokines in rat brain tissue after TBI.
