Acta neurochirurgica
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Acta neurochirurgica · Jun 2004
Early effects of mild brain trauma on the cytoskeletal proteins neurofilament160 and MAP2, and the preventive effects of mexilitine.
The aims were to investigate the early effects of graded, closed, mild head injury on neurofilament protein (NF160) and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2) and to examine the levels of lipid peroxidation and the impact of mexilitine, inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, pretreatment on tissue damage. ⋯ In conclusion, our results show that the cytoskeletal proteins we investigated have different capacities for resisting injury, and that MAP2 is more vulnerable to injury than NF160. One of the reason for this cytoskeletal disruption may be increased lipid peroxidation. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation by pre-treatment with 50-mg/kg mexilitine significantly reduces the level of lipid peroxidation and may protect MAP2 and NF160 integrity in closed mild head injury. This protection is inversely proportional to the magnitude of the applied force.