| It has been established that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment reduces brainedema, decreases infarct volume, contributes to neurological functionalrecovery, and suppresses apoptosis in suture induced focal cerebral ischemicanimal models, In the present study, we evaluated the therapeutic effect ofHBO in an endothelin-1 induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats and exploredthe associated mechanisms of HBO induced brain protection. One hundredand twenty male S-D rats (280 to 320 g) were randomly assigned to sham,focal cerebral ischemia, and focal cerebral ischemia treated with HBO groups.Brain water content, neurological function, morphology and molecularbiological markers were assessed. HBO (100% O2, 2.5 ATA for 2 h) wasinitiated at 1 h after focal cerebral ischemia. Rats were killed at 24 h to harvesttissues for Western blot or for histology. In HBO treated animals, an enhancedratio of Bcl-2 and Bax and a reduced expression of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) in the hippocampus after focal cerebral ischemia were observed.These results indicate that HBO provides brain protection, probably associatedwith inhibition of HIF-1αand elevation of Bcl-2. |
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