Role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the control of brain lesions in experimental hydrocephalus

Abstract

Diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS) can produce disastrous consequences, especially when they reach the developing brain. These results imply dysfunction not only to the affected individuals, but also lead to emotional and financial disruption to families and caregivers, and mean costs to the health system. Hydrocephalus is one of the most common and complex neurological conditions in the clinical practice, and can be defined as a change from liquid flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the ventricles. The commonly used treatment of hydrocephalus is surgical, usually through the shunt. However, as not all patients can be treated surgically immediately after diagnosis, neuroprotection proceedings have been studied. With the increase of CSF volume, encephalic tissues are subjected to compression and stretching forces, leading to blood flow fall and ischemia, with consequent reduction in oxygenation of surrounding tissues. The aim of this study is verify whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy applied in hydrocephalic rats can offer benefits to the structures affected by ventriculomegaly. They will be used seven-day-old Wistar rats submitted to hydrocephalus by intracisternal injection of 10% kaolin. The animals will be divided into four groups: controls (n = 10), controls treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (2 ATA / 2h / day) from the 8th day of life (n = 10), hydrocephalic rats untreated (n = 10), hydrocephalic rats treated with hyperbaric oxygen (2 ATA / 2h / day), from day 1 post induction (eight day-old) (n = 10). To evaluate the response to treatment are behavioral tests (open field, automatic monitor activities, object recognition tasks, and Morris water maze), histological immunohistochemical studies (anti-GFAP, -Ki67, -VEGF, -COX-2 e -HIF1-Alpha) and proteins quantification by ELISA (GFAP, MBP, VEGF, COX-2 e HIF1-Alpha). The results may indicate if the hyperbaric oxygen therapy exhibits some potential to be used as a complement treatment in the hydrocephalus. (AU)