In post-haemorrhagic communicating hydrocephalus, CSF drainage is obstructed by subarachnoid fibrosis in which the fibrogenic cytokine transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been aetiologically implicated. Here, the hypothesis that the TGF-β antagonist Decorin has therapeutic potential for (1) reducing fibrosis and the development of hydrocephalus and (2) degrading fibrosis and resolving hydrocephalus, was tested using a rat model of juvenile communicating hydrocephalus. In the acute study, hydrocephalus was induced by a basal cistern injection of kaolin in 3-week-old rats, immediately followed by continuous intraventricular infusion of either human recombinant Decorin or PBS. In the chronic study, hydrocephalus was allowed to develop for 7 days before starting the treatment of Decorin or PBS. Ventricular expansion was measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Inflammation, fibrosis, Decorin, TGF-β/Smad2/3 activation and hydrocephalic brain pathology were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and basic histology. In the acute study continuous Decorin infusion prevented the development of hydrocephalus by blocking TGF-β- induced subarachnoid fibrosis and protected against hydrocephalic brain damage. In the chronic study Decorin had no impact on hydrocephalus, TGF-β1 levels or subarachnoid fibrosis, however the efficiency of Decorin infusion was in disrepute. The results suggest that Decorin is a potential clinical therapeutic for the prevention of juvenile post-haemorrhagic communicating hydrocephalus.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:589677 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Botfield, Hannah Florence |
| Publisher | University of Birmingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4791/ |
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