Calpain expression changes in response to hypothermia after traumatic brain injury / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine the effect of hypothermia on gene transcription and protein expression of calpain after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods Twenty-seven rats were randomly divided into three groups, ie, normal control group, normothermia TBI group and hypothermia TBI group. All rats with TBI were suffered from a lateral fluid percussion injury (FPI) at the right parietal lobe. Hy-pothermia intervention [rectal temperature for (32 ± 0.5) ℃] was performed for four hours immediately after TBI in hypothermia TBI group. Fluorescence PCR and Western blot were utilized to semi-quantify gene transcription and protein expression of ealpain and immunofluorescence used to observe protein dis-tribution of Calpain. Results Compared with normothermia TBi group and normal control group, hypo-thermia TBI group showed increased calpain gene transcription at 12 and 24 hours respectively after FPI (P <0.05). However, the increase of ealpain protein expression in hypothermia TBI group was inhibited more significantly by hypothermia at 6,12,24 and 72 hours after TBI, compared with normothermia TBI group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Neuroproteetion of hypothermia after TBI may somewhat be related to the decrease of calpain protein expression after its gene transcription.