Artikel
Effect of Boswellia carterii on brain edema following contusion injury
Wirkung von Boswellia carterii auf das posttraumatische perikontusionelle Hirnödem
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Autoren
Veröffentlicht: | 4. Mai 2005 |
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Gliederung
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Objective
To investigate the effect of Boswellia carterii (BC), a known natural non-redox 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, on the development of posttraumatic brain edema and on the cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT) levels in CSF following cortical contusion injury.
Methods
34 male Sprague Dawley rats were studied. 400mg/kg p.o. BC (Group I, n=17) or saline (Group II, n=17) were given 1h prior to controlled cortical impact injury and in half of the animals 12 h later. 6 animals per treatment group were sacrificed at 4h and 24h respectively. Left hemispheric brain water content (%BW) and left hemispheric swelling (%HS) was assessed by wet-dry weight method. In CSF LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4 fractions were separated by HPLC and levels determined quantitatively (pg/100µl) with tandem gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 5 animals per group received a sham operation and served as baseline.
Results
At 4h brain water content (%BW) and hemispheric swelling (%HS) increased in both groups versus baseline. At 24h %BW and %HS of Group I did not progress any further and was significantly (p<0.05) below Group II. LTC4 levels in CSF of Group I were significantly below Group II at 4 hours. At 24h no difference could be detected. LTD4 and LTE4 levels did not differ.
Conclusions
The data suggest, that BC can attenuate, possibly mediated by a LTC4 decrease, the posttraumatic pericontusional oedema formation. To further investigate a possible therapeutic principle of Boswellia carterii and its main effectors, boswellic acids, in traumatic brain injury, future studies need to confirm these results also in comparison to synthetic 5-LO inhibitors.