Efficacy of acute administration of inhaled argon on traumatic brain injury in mice

BackgroundWhilst there has been progress in supportive treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI), specific neuroprotective interventions are lacking. Models of ischaemic heart and show the therapeutic potential argon gas, but it is still not known whether inhaled (iAr) protective TBI. We tested effects acute administration iAr on oedema, tissue micro-environmental changes, neurological functions, structural outcome a mouse model TBI.MethodsAnaesthetised adult C57BL/6J mice were subjected to severe TBI by controlled cortical impact. Ten minutes after TBI, randomised 24 h treatments with 70%/O2 30% or air (iCtr). Sensorimotor deficits evaluated up 6 weeks post-TBI three independent tests. Cognitive function was Barnes maze test at 4 weeks. MRI done examine oedema 3 days white matter damage 5 Microglia/macrophages activation functional commitment 1 week immunohistochemistry.ResultsiAr significantly accelerated sensorimotor recovery improved cognitive month less ipsilateral fimbria body corpus callosum. Early changes underpinning protection included reduction pericontusional vasogenic inflammatory response. reduced microglial increases ramified cells M2-like marker YM1.ConclusionsiAr accelerates improves mice. include neuroinflammation contused tissue.