Functional and Structural Improvement with a Catalytic Carbon Nano-Antioxidant in Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury Complicated by Hypotension and Resuscitation. uri icon

abstract

  • Hypotension worsens outcome after all severities of traumatic brain injury (TBI), with loss of cerebral autoregulation being a potential contributor. Previously, we demonstrated that intravenous injection of a high capacity catalytic antioxidant, poly(ethylene)glycol conjugated hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs) rapidly restored cerebral perfusion and acutely restored brain oxidative balance in a TBI model complicated by hemorrhagic hypotension without evidence of toxicity. Here, we tested whether these acute effects translated into behavioral and structural benefit. TBI was generated by a cortical contusion impactor in 38 Long Evans rats, followed by blood withdrawal to a target mean arterial pressure of 40mm Hg. PEG-HCC (2mg/kg) or diluent was injected intravenously 80min later at the onset of blood resuscitation followed by another injection 2h later (doses determined in prior studies). Performance on beam walking (performed on days 1-5) and Morris water maze (MWM) (performed on days 11-15) was tested, and lesion size was determined at the termination. PEG-HCC treatment nearly completely prevented motor dysfunction (p<0.001 vs. diluent), improved MWM performance (p<0.001; treatment vs. time interaction) and reduced lesion size by 61% (p=0.054). Here we show that treatment with PEG-HCCs at a clinically realistic time point (onset of resuscitation) prevented a major portion of the neurological dysfunction induced in this TBI model, and that PEG-HCCs are candidates for additional study as a potential therapeutic agent.

published proceedings

  • J Neurotrauma

author list (cited authors)

  • Mendoza, K., Derry, P. J., Cherian, L. M., Garcia, R., Nilewski, L., Goodman, J. C., ... Kent, T. A.

citation count

  • 4

complete list of authors

  • Mendoza, Kimberly||Derry, Paul J||Cherian, Leela Mathew||Garcia, Robert||Nilewski, Lizanne||Goodman, J Clay||Mbye, Lamin||Robertson, Claudia S||Tour, James M||Kent, Thomas A

publication date

  • January 2019