Quercetin protects rat cortical neurons against traumatic brain injury

Previous studies have demonstrated that traumatic brain injury (TBI) may cause neurological deficits and neuronal cell apoptosis. Quercetin, one of the most widely distributed flavonoids, possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-blood coagulation, anti-ischemic and anti-cancer activities, and neuroprotective effects in the context of brain injury. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of quercetin in TBI. A total of 75 rats were randomly arranged into 3 groups as follows: Sham group (Sham); TBI group (TBI); and TBI + quercetin group (Que). Brain edema was evaluated by analysis of brain water content. The neurobehavioral status of the rats was evaluated by Neurological Severity Scoring. Immunohistochemical and western blot analyses were used to measure the expression of certain proteins. The results of the present study demonstrated that post-TBI administration of quercetin may attenuate brain edema, in addition to improving motor function in rats. Additionally, quercetin caused a marked inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation and activated Akt serine/threonine protein kinase phosphorylation, which may result in attenuation of neuronal apoptosis. The present study provided novel insights into the mechanism through which quercetin may exert its neuroprotective activity in a rat model of TBI.