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Attenuation of cerebral vasospasm and secondary injury by testosterone following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbit

  • Experimental Research - Vascular
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Abstract

Background

The vasodilatator effects of testosterone have been widely studied and demonstrated. Based on previous studies of these vasodilatatory activities, we hypothesized that testosterone might have potential effects on subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced cerebral vasospasm.

Methods

Thirty-two adult male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups of eight rabbits in each group: group 1 (control); group 2 (subarachnoid hemorrhage); group 3 (subarachnoid hemorrhage + vehicle); and group 4 (subarachnoid hemorrhage + testosterone). Testosterone (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) was administered 5 min after the intracisternal blood injection and continued for 72 h once per day in the same dose for group 4. Animals were killed 72 h after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Basilar artery cross-sectional areas, arterial wall thicknesses, and hippocampal degeneration scores were evaluated in all groups.

Results

Intraperitoneal administration of testosterone was found to attenuate cerebral vasospasm and provide neuroprotection after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbits. Testosterone treatment was determined to be effective at increasing the luminal area and reducing the wall thickness of the basilar artery.

Conclusions

Our findings show that testosterone has some preventive effects on SAH-induced vasospasm and secondary neuronal injury in rabbits. We propose that the vasodilatatory activity of testosterone is due to its effects on inhibiting calcium channels, activating potassium channels, augmenting nitric oxide synthesis, and inhibiting oxidant stress and inflammation.

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Conflicts of interest

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosurgery Clinic, Ministry of Health, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital, Bağlarbaşı Mahallesi, Feyzullah Caddesi, Karanfil Sokak No: 2, Erdin Apt. Kat: 7, 34844, Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey

    Bora Gürer

  2. Neurosurgery Clinic, Ministry of Health, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Erhan Turkoglu, Hayri Kertmen & Zeki Sekerci

  3. Neurosurgery Clinic, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey

    Ergun Karavelioglu

  4. Department of Pathology, Ministry of Health, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Ata Türker Arikok

Authors
  1. Bora Gürer
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  2. Erhan Turkoglu
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  3. Hayri Kertmen
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  4. Ergun Karavelioglu
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  5. Ata Türker Arikok
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  6. Zeki Sekerci
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Correspondence to Bora Gürer.

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Comment

This remains an observational rather than mechanistic study, but is well conceived and conducted. It provides hypothesis-generating data, and as such a contribution to the literature.

Michael Tymianski

Toronto, Canada

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Gürer, B., Turkoglu, E., Kertmen, H. et al. Attenuation of cerebral vasospasm and secondary injury by testosterone following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbit. Acta Neurochir 156, 2111–2120 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-014-2211-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-014-2211-9

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