Open AccessProgesterone is neuroprotective by inhibiting cerebral edema after ischemia
Author(s) -
Yuqing Zhao,
Min Zhang,
Hengfang Liu,
Jianping Wang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.160097
Subject(s) - penumbra , occludin , extravasation , evans blue , ischemia , blood–brain barrier , medicine , neuroprotection , cerebral edema , tight junction , edema , pharmacology , anesthesia , pathology , chemistry , central nervous system , biochemistry
Ischemic edema can alter the structure and permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Recent studies have reported that progesterone reduces cerebral edema after cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism of this effect has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, progesterone effectively reduced Evans blue extravasation in the ischemic penumbra, but not in the ischemic core, 48 hours after cerebral ischemia in rats. Progesterone also inhibited the down-regulation of gene and protein levels of occludin and zonula occludens-1 in the penumbra. These results indicate that progesterone may effectively inhibit the down-regulation of tight junctions, thereby maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and reducing cerebral edema.