Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Dexamethasone and colchicine reduce inflammation and delayed oedema following experimental brain contusion

  • Clinical Articles
  • Published:
Acta Neurochirurgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on monocyte/macrophage infiltration, major histocompatibility complex molecules (MHC) class II expression and delayed oedema following experimental brain contusion was studied by immunohistochemistry and tissue-specific gravity measurement in 44 rats. Colchicine, chloroquine and dexamethasone administered once daily for five days after the trauma reduced inflammation and oedema. The difference was statistically significant with colchicine and dexamethasone.

The findings comprise further evidence of a pathogenetically important inflammation after experimental contusion. It is probable that anti-inflammatory agents may prevent secondary neurological damage due to elevated intracranial pressure and cell to cell- or cytokine-mediated neuronal degeneration and demyelination.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Canada)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anderson DK, Means ED (1985) Iron-induced lipid peroxidation in spinal cord: protection with mannitol and methylprednisolone. J Free Radie Biol Med 1: 59–64

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barclay AN (1990) The localisation of populations of lymphocytes defined by monoclonal antibodies in rat lymphoid tissues. Immunology 42: 593–600

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bauer J, Berkenbosch F, Van Dam AM, Dijkstra CD (1993) Demonstration of interleukin-1 beta in Lewis rat brain during experimental allergic encephalomyelitis by immunocytochemistry at the light and ultrastructural level. J Neuroimmunol 48: 13–21

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Blight AR (1985) Delayed demyelination and macrophage invasion: a candidate for secondary cell damage in spinal cord injury. Cent Nerv Syst Trauma 2: 299–315

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Blight AR (1992) Macrophages and inflammatory damage in spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 9: 83–91

    Google Scholar 

  6. Braakman R, Scheuten HJ, Blaauw-van Dishoeck M, Minderhoud JM (1983) Megadose steroids in severe head injury. Results of a prospective double-blind clinical trial. J Neurosurg 58: 326–330

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bullock R, Statham P, Patterson J, Wyper D, Hadley D, Teasdale E (1990) The time course of vasogenic oedema after focal human head injury — evidence from SPECT mapping of blood brain barrier defects. Acta Neurochir (Wien) [Suppl] 51: 286–288

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bullock R, Teasdale GM, Wyper D (1989) Tomographie mapping of CBF, CBV and BBB changes after focal head injury using SPECT: mechanisms for late deterioration. In: Hoff J (ed) Proc VIIth Int Symposium Intracranial Pressure and Brain Injury. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 637–639

    Google Scholar 

  9. Damoiseaux JG, Dopp EA, Beelen RH, Dijkstra CD (1989) Rat bone marrow and monocyte cultures: influence of culture time and lymphokines on the expression of macrophage differentiation antigens. J Leukoc Biol 46: 246–253

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dearden NM, Gibson JS, McDowall DG, Gibson RM, Cameron MM (1986) Effect of high-dose dexamethasone on outcome from severe head injury. J Neurosurg 64: 81–88

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Dijkstra CD, Dopp EA, Joling P, Kraal G (1985) The heterogeneity of mononuclear phagocytes in lymphoid organs: distinct macrophage subpopulations in the rat recognized by monoclonal antibodies EDI, ED2, and ED3. Immunology 54: 589–599

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Du Plessis JJ (1992) High-dose dexamethasone therapy in head injury: a patient group that may benefit from therapy. Br J Neurosurg 6: 145–147

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Dusart I, Schwab ME (1994) Secondary cell death and the inflammatory reaction after dorsal hemisection of the rat spinal cord. Eur J Neurosci 6: 712–724

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Feeney DM, Boyeson MG, Linn RT, Murray HM, Dail WG (1981) Responses to cortical injury: I. Methodology and local effects of contusions in the rat. Brain Res 211: 67–77

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Giannotta SL, Weiss MH, Apuzzo ML, Martin E (1984) High dose glucocorticoids in the management of severe head injury. Neurosurgery 15: 497–501

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Giulian D, Chen J, Ingeman JE, George JK, Noponen M (1989) The role of mononuclear phagocytes in wound healing after traumatic injury to adult mammalian brain. J Neurosci 9: 4416–4429

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Giulian D, Corpuz M, Chapman S, Mansouri M, Robertson C (1993) Reactive mononuclear phagocytes release neurotoxins after ischemie and traumatic injury to the central nervous system. J Neurosci Res 36: 681–693

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Giulian D, Robertson C (1990) Inhibition of mononuclear phagocytes reduces ischemie injury in the spinal cord. Ann Neurol 27: 33–42

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Gobiet W, Bock W, Liesegang J (1976) Treatment of acute cerebral edema with high dose of dexamethasone. In: Becks JWF, Bosch DA, Brock M (eds) Intracranial pressure III. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 231–235

    Google Scholar 

  20. Gordon CR, Merchant RS, Marmarou A, Rice CD, Marsh JT, Young HF (1990) Effect of murine recombinant interleukin-1 on brain oedema in the rat. Acta Neurochir (Wien) [Suppl] 51: 268–270

    Google Scholar 

  21. Hall ED (1985) High-dose glucocorticoid treatment improves neurological recovery in head-injured mice. J Neurosurg 62: 882–887

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hall ED, McCall JM, Chase RL, Yonkers PA, Braughler JM (1987) A nonglucocorticoid steroid analog of methylprednisolone duplicates its high-dose pharmacology in models of central nervous system trauma and neuronal membrane damage. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 242: 137–142

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Holmin S, Mathiesen T (1995) Biphasic edema development after experimental brain contusion in rat. Neurosci Lett 194: 97–100

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Holmin S, Mathiesen T, Shetye J, Biberfeld P (1995) Intracerebral inflammatory response to experimental brain contusion. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 132: 110–119

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kobrine AI, Kempe LG (1973) Studies in head injury. II. Effect of dexamethasone on traumatic brain swelling. Surg Neurol 1: 38–42

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lampson LA (1987) Molecular bases of the immune response to neural antigens. Trends Neurosci 10: 211–216

    Google Scholar 

  27. Marmarou A, Poll W, Shulman K, Bhagavan H (1978) A simple gravimetric technique for measurement of cerebral edema. J Neurosurg 49: 530–537

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Marmarou A, Tanaka K, Shulman K (1982) An improved gravimetric measure of cerebral edema. J Neurosurg 56: 246–253

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Malinesen T, Kakarieka A, Edner G (1995) Traumatic intracerebral lesions without extracerebral haematoma in 218 patients. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 137: 155–163

    Google Scholar 

  30. McLaurin RL, Helmer F (1965) The syndrome of temporallobe contusion. J Neurosurg Vol 296–304

  31. McMaster WR, Williams A (1979) Identification of Ia glycoproteins in rat thymus and purification from rat spleen. Eur J Immunol 9: 426–433

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Nelson SR, Mantz ML, Maxwell JA (1971) Use of specific gravity in the measurement of cerebral edema. J Appl Physiol 30: 268–271

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Polman CH, Dijkstra CD, Sminia T, Koetsier JC (1986) Immunohistological analysis of macrophages in the central nervous system of Lewis rats with acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. J Neuroimmunol 11: 215–222

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Quagliarello VJ, Wispelwey B, Long WJ, Jr, Scheid WM (1991) Recombinant human interleukin-1 induces meningitis and blood-brain barrier injury in the rat. Characterization and comparison with tumor necrosis factor. J Clin Invest 87: 1360–1366

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Shohami E, Novikov M, Bass R, Yamin A, Gallily R (1994) Closed head injury triggers early production of TNF alpha and IL-6 by brain tissue. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 14: 615–619

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Sminia T, de Groot CJ, Dijkstra CD, Koetsier JC, Polman CH (1987) Macrophages in the central nervous system of the rat. Immunobiology 174: 43–50

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Statham PF, Johnston RA, Macpherson P (1989) Delayed deterioration in patients with traumatic frontal contusions. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 52: 351–354

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Stein SC, Spettell C, Young G, Ross SE (1993) Delayed and progressive brain injury in closed-head trauma: radiological demonstration. Neurosurgery 32: 25–30; Discussion 30–31

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Todd NV, Graham DI (1990) Blood-brain barrier damage in traumatic brain contusions. Acta Neurochir (Wien) [Suppl] 51: 296–299

    Google Scholar 

  40. Unterberg A, Kiening K, Schmiedek P, Lanksch W (1993) Long-term observations of intracranial pressure after severe head injury. The phenomenon of secondary rise of intracranial pressure. Neurosurgery 32: 17–23; Discussion 23–24

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Wekerle H, Linington C, Lassman H, Meyermann R (1986) Cellular immune reactivity within the CNS. Trends Neurosci 9: 271–277

    Google Scholar 

  42. Woodroofe MN, Cuzner ML (1993) Cytokine mRNA expression in inflammatory multiple sclerosis lesions: detection by non-radioactive in situ hybridization. Cytokine 5: 583–588

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Section of Neurosurgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    S. Holmin & T. Mathiesen

Authors
  1. S. Holmin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Mathiesen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Holmin, S., Mathiesen, T. Dexamethasone and colchicine reduce inflammation and delayed oedema following experimental brain contusion. Acta neurochir 138, 418–424 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01420304

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01420304

Keywords

Search

Navigation