Vascular remodeling plays a key role in neural regeneration in the injured brain. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a mediator of the
vascular remodeling process. Previous studies have found that
progesterone treatment of
traumatic brain injury (TBI) decreases
cerebral edema and cellular apoptosis and inhibits
inflammation, which in concert promote
neuroprotective effects in young adult rats. However, whether
progesterone treatment regulates circulating
EPC level and fosters
vascular remodeling after TBI have not been investigated. In this study, we hypothesize that
progesterone treatment following TBI increases circulating
EPC levels and promotes
vascular remodeling in the injured brain in aged rats. Male Wistar 20-month-old rats were subjected to a moderate unilateral parietal
cortical contusion injury and were treated with or without
progesterone (n=54/group).
Progesterone was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 16mg/kg at 1 h post-TBI and was subsequently injected subcutaneously daily for 14 days. Neurological functional tests and immnunostaining were performed. Circulating EPCs were measured by flow cytometry.
Progesterone treatment significantly improved neurological outcome after TBI measured by the modified neurological severity score, Morris Water Maze and the long term potentiation in the hippocampus as well as increased the circulating
EPC levels compared to TBI controls (p<0.05).
Progesterone treatment also significantly increased CD34 and CD31 positive cell number and vessel density in the injured brain compared to TBI controls (p<0.05). These data indicate that
progesterone treatment of TBI improves multiple neurological functional outcomes, increases the circulating
EPC level, and facilitates
vascular remodeling in the injured brain after TBI in aged rats.