Research Article

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the Nrf2 signaling pathway in secondary injury following traumatic brain injury

Published: January 29, 2016
Genet. Mol. Res. 15(1): gmr6933 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/gmr.15016933
Cite this Article:
X.E. Meng, Y. Zhang, N. Li, D.F. Fan, C. Yang, H. Li, D.Z. Guo, S.Y. Pan, X.E. Meng, Y. Zhang, N. Li, D.F. Fan, C. Yang, H. Li, D.Z. Guo, S.Y. Pan, X.E. Meng, Y. Zhang, N. Li, D.F. Fan, C. Yang, H. Li, D.Z. Guo, S.Y. Pan (2016). Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the Nrf2 signaling pathway in secondary injury following traumatic brain injury. Genet. Mol. Res. 15(1): gmr6933. https://doi.org/10.4238/gmr.15016933
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Abstract

We investigated the effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on the Nrf2 signaling pathway in secondary injury following traumatic brain injury, using a rat model. An improved Feeney freefall method was used to establish the rat traumatic brain injury model. Sixty rats were randomly divided into three groups: a sham surgery group, a traumatic brain injury group, and a group receiving hyperbaric oxygen treatment after traumatic brain injury. Neurological function scores were assessed at 12 and 24 h after injury. The expression levels of Nrf2, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) in the cortex surrounding the brain lesion were detected by western blotting 24 h after the injury. Additionally, the TUNEL method was used to detect apoptosis of nerve cells 24 h after traumatic injury and Nissl staining was used to detect the number of whole neurons. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment significantly increased the expression of nuclear Nrf2 protein (P < 0.05), HO-1, and NQO-1 in the brain tissues surrounding the lesion after a traumatic brain injury (P < 0.05) and also significantly reduced the number of apoptotic and injured nerve cells. The neurological function scores also improved with hyperbaric oxygen treatment (P < 0.05). Therefore, hyperbaric oxygen has a neuroprotective role in traumatic brain injury, which is mediated by up-regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

We investigated the effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on the Nrf2 signaling pathway in secondary injury following traumatic brain injury, using a rat model. An improved Feeney freefall method was used to establish the rat traumatic brain injury model. Sixty rats were randomly divided into three groups: a sham surgery group, a traumatic brain injury group, and a group receiving hyperbaric oxygen treatment after traumatic brain injury. Neurological function scores were assessed at 12 and 24 h after injury. The expression levels of Nrf2, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) in the cortex surrounding the brain lesion were detected by western blotting 24 h after the injury. Additionally, the TUNEL method was used to detect apoptosis of nerve cells 24 h after traumatic injury and Nissl staining was used to detect the number of whole neurons. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment significantly increased the expression of nuclear Nrf2 protein (P