Research Information System
WORLD NEUROSURGERY, no.1878, pp.432-441, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an essential
and common health problem worldwide. Levosimendan is
an inotropic and vasodilator drug used to treat heart failure.
Moreover, it exerts pleiotropic effects and, thus, protective
effects on many organs. The present study aimed to
investigate the effect of levosimendan on necrosis,
apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species in rats with TBI.
- METHODS: The study included 28 female Wistar-Albino
rats weighing 200e250 g. The rats were divided into 4
groups with 7 rats each as follows: Group 1: No trauma
group (Control), Group 2: Traumatized, untreated group (T),
Group 3: Levosimendan was administered at a dose of
12 mg/kg intraperitoneally 1 hour after the trauma (L1),
Group 4: Levosimendan was administered at a dose of
12 mg/kg intraperitoneally 2 hours after the concussion (L2).
After the experiment, the rats were decapitated, and the
brain tissue was removed. Necrosis was assessed with
Cresyl violet staining, apoptosis was assessed with
immunohistochemical analysis, superoxide dismutase and
catalase levels were measured with the spectrophotometric
method, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were
assessed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.
- RESULTS: The number of necrotic cells in the L1 and L2
groups was significantly lower than in the K and T groups
(P [ 0.015 and P [ 0.03, respectively). Although the active
caspase-3 level was signified considerably in the T, L1, and
L2 groups compared to the K group, no significant difference
was found among these 3 groups (P > 0.05). The results
of superoxide dismutase levels were similar to those
of active caspase-3. catalase level was significantly higher
in the K group than in the T and L2 groups (P [ 0.045).
Malondialdehyde activity was considerably higher in the
L1 and L2 groups compared to the K group (P [ 0.023).
-CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that levosimendan
may exert a neuroprotective effect by reducing necrosis in
TBI and that levosimendan does not affect apoptosis and
antioxidant levels in TBI. Comprehensive studies are
needed to elucidate the effect of levosimendan on TBI fully.