Effects of Progesterone on Gene Expression in Brain Injury
Author Information
Author(s): Hua Fang, Wang Jun, Ishrat Tauheed, Wei Wenjing, Atif Fahim, Sayeed Iqbal, Stein Donald G
Primary Institution: Emory University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
The study examines the genomic profiles of Toll-like receptor pathways in traumatically injured brain and the effects of exogenous progesterone.
Conclusion
The results demonstrate that traumatic brain injury increases gene expression in TLR-mediated pathways, and that progesterone reduces the up-regulation of certain inflammatory cytokines.
Supporting Evidence
- Progesterone significantly down-regulated the expression of Ccl-2, IL-1b, and Cxcl-10 after TBI.
- Two TLRs (TLR1 and TLR2) were significantly up-regulated after injury.
- Administration of progesterone did not inhibit the expression of any detected TLRs.
Takeaway
When mice get hurt in the brain, some genes that help with inflammation get turned on. Giving them progesterone helps turn down some of those genes that cause swelling.
Methodology
Mice underwent bilateral cortical impact injury, followed by progesterone treatment and analysis of gene expression using RT-PCR arrays.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the specific animal model and the controlled laboratory conditions.
Limitations
The study is limited to a specific mouse model and may not fully represent human responses to traumatic brain injury.
Participant Demographics
Male C57BL/6J mice, aged and weight unspecified.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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