Objective
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to morbidity in children and boys are disproportionately represented. Cerebral autoregulation is impaired after TBI, contributing to poor outcome. Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (CPP) is often normalized by use of vasopressors to increase MAP. In prior studies, we observed that phenylephrine prevented in female but exacerbated impairment of autoregulation in male piglets after fluid percussion injury (FPI). In contrast, dopamine prevented impairment of autoregulation in both sexes after FPI, suggesting that pressor choice impacts outcome. The ERK isoform of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) produces hemodynamic impairment after FPI, but the role of the cytokine IL-6 is unknown. We investigated whether norepinephrine (NE) sex dependently protects autoregulation and limits histopathology after FPI and the role of ERK and IL-6 in that outcome.
Design
Prospective, randomized animal study.
Setting
University laboratory.
Subjects
Newborn (1–5 day old) pigs.
Interventions
CPP, CBF, and pial artery diameter were determined before and after FPI in piglets equipped with a closed cranial window and post treated with NE. CSF ERK MAPK was determined by ELISA.
Measurements and Main Results
NE does not protect autoregulation or prevent reduction in CBF in male but fully protects autoregulation in female piglets after FPI. Papaverine induced dilation was unchanged by FPI and NE. NE increased ERK MAPK upregulation in male but blocked such upregulation in female piglets after FPI. NE aggravated IL-6 upregulation in males in an ERK MAPK dependent mechanism but blocked IL-6 upregulation in females after FPI. NE augments loss of neurons in CA1 and CA3 hippocampus of male piglets after FPI in an ERK MAPK and IL-6 dependent manner, but prevents loss of neurons in females after FPI.
Conclusions
NE protects autoregulation and limits hippocampal neuronal cell necrosis via modulation of ERK MAPK and IL-6 after FPI in a sex dependent manner.