Effects of Dangguisusan, a prescription of Korean medicine on controlled cortical impact-induced traumatic brain injury mouse model

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Dangguisusan (DGSS) is a widely used prescription for the treatment of traumatic injury in Korean medicine. Aim of the study: To demonstrate the effects of DGSS on a mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) for providing scientific evidence in clinical use. Materials and methods: TBI was induced in a mouse model using the controlled cortical impact method. Water extract of DGSS (50, 150, and 450 mg/kg) was administered twice a day for 8 d. Histological analyses were performed 8 d after TBI. Moreover, beam-walking, grip-strength, and novel object recognition (NOR) tests were conducted to evaluate the effects on motor function, muscle strength, and cognitive memory function, respectively. Result DGSS inhibited body weight loss, hippocampal damage, and neuronal loss in the thalamic region. Furthermore, it reduced transverse time and foot faults in the beam-walking test at 3 d and increased the muscle strength in the grip-strength test at 3 and 8 d. It also improved the recognition index (%) in the NOR test. However, DGSS did not show protective effects against total damage. Conclusions: DGSS might improve sensory-motor and cognitive functions after TBI with partial protective effects against brain damage. The present findings provide a scientific basis for the clinical use of DGSS in TBI.