Neuroprotective effects of sAPPα administration following diffuse traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Soluble amyloid precursor protein α (sAPPα) is a product of the nonamyloidogenic cleavage pathway of APP that has previously been shown to have many neuroprotective functions in vitro. No study, however, has addressed whether sAPPα may also be neuroprotective in vivo. The present study has therefore examined the in vivo effects of sAPPα administration on axonal injury and neurological outcome following 2- metre impact/ acceleration traumatic brain injury in rats. Treatment with sAPPα at 30 min after injury (icv) significantly reduced axonal injury (AI) within the corpus callosum at 1, 3 and 7 days post-injury and significantly improved motor outcome (rotarod) compared to vehicle treated controls. Our results demonstrate the in vivo neuroprotective properties of post-traumatic administration of sAPPα following traumatic brain injury.