Neuron protection and repairing effect of bFGF in cerebral diffuse axonal injury in rats

Objectives To study the expression and roles of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the cerebral cortex of rats with diffuse axonal injury (DAI) ,and find an effective method for clinical treatment of brain injuries. Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and DAI groups,which were subdivided into 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 72 h and 7th day subgroups according to the survival time.The changes in bFGF expression in cerebral cortex were detected by immunohistochemical method from 6 h to 7 d after DAI. Results The bFGF expression appeared at 6 h after DAI,increased at 12 h,reached the highest level at 72 h, and still kept at a high level at 7 d;there were significant differences between the DAI groups(P0.01). HE staining showed significant reduction in cerebral cortex neurons. Conclusions Statistical analysis showed that there are temporal and spatial effects on the expression of bFGF after DAI in rats,suggesting that bFGF plays an important role in the neuronal protection and restoration after brain injuries,and bFGF can effectively alleviate the degree of brain injury.