Objective        To determine the effect of deferoxamine (DFO) administration on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.       Methods       A total of 39 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into 3 groups

sham-operation group

TBI group and DFO treatment group. Modified Feeney’s method was used to establish the rat model of experimental TBI with an impact of a weight of 30 g from 15 cm after craniotomy. The rats of DFO tr

eatment group were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/kg DFO in 2 h after TBI and then at 12-hour intervals for up to 28 d

and those of the other 2 groups were treated with same volume of normal saline. Rectal temperature

blood glucose and hemoglobin were detected at 1

3

7

14 and 28 d after injury

and the total mortality was recorded. After Morris water maze was performed to assess rat behavior

all rats were sacrificed. Then the volume of defected brain was detected with Coniglobus formula

and the expression of NeuN around the injury site was detected with immunofluorescence staining.       Results       There was no significant difference in rectal temperature

blood glucose

hemoglobin

and mortality at the different time points  among different groups (P0.05). The volume of defected brain after TBI was smaller in rats of DFO-treated group than in injury group (115.35±13.70 vs 209.99±16.70 mm

3

P0.05). Immunofluorescence staining indicated that there was no NeuN positive cell in the TBI group

while many NeuN positive cells were found in DFO treatment group. The strategy of research platform (3.13±0.35) and the time of research platform (36.15±26.63 s) in DFO treatment group were greatly ameliorated than those in TBI group (2.13±0.64 and 110.00±47.34 s

P0.05).       Conclusion       Early administration of DFO significantly attenuates pathological damage in rats after TBI

and improves the ability of space learning and memory

which suggest that DFO may be an effective drug in treatment of acute TBI.