Effect of Xingnaojing injection on cerebral edema and blood-brain barrier in rats following traumatic brain injury

Objective:To explore the effects of Xingnaojing injection on cerebral edema and blood-brain barrier (BBB) in rats following traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods: A total of 108 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used as subjects and randomly assigned to three groups:sham-operation,TBI and Xingnaojing injection was set up by the improved device of Feeney's weightcontent and BBB permeability expressed as Evans blue content were measured at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after surgery.Results: In sham-operation group, brain water content and Evans blue content in brain tissue were 78.97%±1.22%and 5.13μg±0.71μg. Following TBI, water content in brain tissue was increased significantly at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days (83.49%±0.54%, 82.74%±0.72%, 80.22%±0.68%, 79.21%±0.60%), being significantly higher than that in sham operation group (P<0.05). Evans blue content was increased in TBI group (16.54 μg±0.60 μg, 14.92μg±0.71μg, 12.44 μg ±0.92μg, 10.14μg±0.52 μg) as compared with sham-operation group(P<0.05). After treatment with Xingnaojing injection, brain water content decreased as compared with TBI group (81.91%±1.04%, 80.38%±0.72%, 79.54%±0.58%,78.60%±0.77%, P<0.05). Xingnaojing injection also reduced the leakage of BBB as compared with TBI group (15.11 μg± 0.63 μg, 13.62 μg±0.85μg, 10.06 μg±0.67 μg, 9.54 μg±0.41 μg,P<0.05).Conclusion: Xingnaojing injection could alleviate cerebral edema following TBI via reducing permeability ofBBB.