TITLE:
Thymosin β4 Improves Neurological Outcome and Enhances Induced Oligodendrogenesis in the Rat after ICH
AUTHORS:
Dongmei Yang, Yuxia Han, Michael Chopp, Donald M. Seyfried
KEYWORDS:
Thymosin β4, Neurogenesis, Oligodendrogenesis, Intracerebral Hemorrhage
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Neuroscience,
Vol.4 No.5,
October
23,
2014
ABSTRACT: Thymosin β4 (Tβ4),
a G-actin binding protein, has diverse biological functions. This study tested
the effects of Tβ4 on
oligodendrogenesis in a rat model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ICH was induced by stereotactic injection of
100 μm of autologous blood into the striatum in 32 male Wistar rats. The rats
were randomly divided into four groups: 1) saline control group (n = 8);
2) 3 mg/kg Tβ4-treated group (n = 8); 3) 6 mg/kg Tβ4-treated
group (n = 8); and 4) 12 mg/kg Tβ4treated group (n =
8). Tβ4 or saline was administered intraperitoneally starting
at 24 h post ICH and then every 3 days for 4 additional doses. The neurological
functional outcome was evaluated by behavioral tests (i.e., modified
Neurological Severity Score and corner turn test) at multiple time points after
ICH. Animals were sacrificed at 28 days post ICH, and histological studies were
completed. Tβ4 treatment
improved neurological functional recovery significantly and increased actively
proliferating oligodendrocytic progenitor cells and myelinating oligodendrocytes
in the ICH-affected brain tissue, compared with the saline-treated group. The
high-dose treatment of Tβ4 showed
better restorative effects compared with the low-dose treatment. Tβ4 treatment enhanced ICH-induced
oligodendrogenesis that may contribute to the enhanced functional recovery
after ICH. Further investigation is warranted to determine the associated
underlying mechanisms of Tβ4
treatment for ICH.