Relationship between expression of neuroglobin and changes of brain water content in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective To study the expression of neuroglobin (Ngb) in brain tissue in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and the relationship between the expression of Ngb and brain edema following ICH. Methods The rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham-operated group and ICH group. Sham-operated group and ICH group were divided into 5 subgroups respectively according to 1, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after the animal modal formation. ICH was induced by stereotaxic injection of autologous blood into right caudate nucleus of rats (saline was injected in sham-operated group). Wet and dry weight methods were used to measure the changes of brain water content, and Western blot were used to detect the expression of Ngb in brain tissue. Results Compared with normal control group or sham-operated group, the expression of Ngb in peri-hematomal brain tissue started to increase at 1 h (P0.05), and the brain water content increased at 24 h in ICH group (P0.05). Both peaked at 48 h and maintained the level until 72 h (P0.01) in ICH group.Conclusion Expression of Ngb increases in brain tissue after ICH. The change of Ngb expression is not totally coincident with the formation of brain edema after ICH.