Vinpocetine Ameliorates Neuronal Injury After Cold-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as intracranial injury, is a common condition with the highest incidence rate among neurodegenerative disorders and poses a significant public health burden. Various methods are used in the treatment of TBI, but the effects of cold-induced traumatic brain injury have not been thoroughly studied. In this context, vinpocetine (VPN), derived from Vinca minor, exhibits notable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. VPN is known for its neuroprotective role and is generally utilized for treating various neurodegenerative disorders. However, the function of VPN after cold-induced TBI needs to be studied in more detail. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effects of VPN at varying doses (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) after cold-induced TBI. C57BL/6 mice were sacrificed 2 or 28 days after cold-induced TBI. Results indicate that VPN administration significantly reduces brain infarct volume, brain swelling, blood-brain barrier disruption, and DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, VPN enhances neuronal survival in the ipsilesional cortex. In the long term, VPN treatment (5 mg/kg/day or 10 mg/kg/day, initiated 48 h post-TBI) improved locomotor activity, cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and decreased whole brain atrophy, specifically motor cortex atrophy. We performed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to elucidate the underlying mechanisms to profile proteins and signaling pathways influenced by prolonged VPN treatment post-TBI. Notably, we found that 192 different proteins were significantly altered by VPN treatment, which is a matter of further investigation for the development of therapeutic targets. Our study has shown that VPN may have a neuroprotective role in cold-induced TBI.