Effect of sumatriptan following simulated traumatic brain injury in rats

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to be a devastating problem in developing countries. The inevitable traumatic effect is followed by a secondary phase of neuroinflammation leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Numerous agents and treatment modalities have been tested to date. The first clinically available triptan used to treat migraine, sumatriptan (SUM), has been evaluated for cerebral, testicular and renal ischemia previously but to our knowledge this is the fi rst paper where its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects after experimental TBI in rats has been evaluated. Aim: Employing an experimental trauma technique, we aimed to investigate whether SUM has ameliorating effects on the infl ammatory phase of TBI via neurological, histological and biochemical analyses. Methodology: Twenty-three Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, trauma and trauma + SUM. The two latter groups underwent experimental diffuse cortical injury mimicking TBI. The subjects underwent neurological assessment via the Garcia Test, histological analysis via a novel scoring system and biochemical analyses of neuron specifi c enolase (NSE), S-100B, caspase-3 (CASP3), and rat thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. Results: SUM receiving group had a better Garcia Test score (P < 0.001), higher anti-inflammatory score (P = 0.004) and higher neuroprotective score (P < 0.001) along with a better histopathological score when compared with the trauma group. SUM receiving group had lower levels of S100B, CASP3 and TBARS. SUM was unable to reduce NSE levels. Conclusion: SUM may prove to be beneficial in decreasing mortality and morbidity rates after TBI through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. The novel scoring system used in this study may be a valuable tool for similar experiments.