Protective Effects of Epifriedelinol in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury Assessed with Histological and Hematological Markers

Background: This study evaluated the protective effects of epifriedelinol (EFD) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methodology: TBI was induced by dropping a weight from a specific height. The animals were separated into control, TBI, and EFD 100 and 200 mg/kg groups. The latter received 100 and 200 mg/kg EFD, respectively, for 2 days beginning 30 min after inducing TBI. The neurological examination score, permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), water content of the brain, cytokine levels, and oxidative stress parameters were measured in the rats. The effects of EFD on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells were evaluated using immunohistochemistry.

Result: The EFD treatment significantly decreased the neurological score, permeability of the BBB, and water content of brain compared with the TBI group. The levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and oxidative stress were significantly decreased in the EFD-treated groups. The number of GFAP-positive cells was also significantly reduced in the EFD-treated groups.

Conclusion: EFD attenuates the secondary injury in TBI rats by reducing the serum cytokine levels and oxidative stress.