Effects of hydrogen-rich saline on postoperative cognitive dysfunction in aged mice

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of hydrogen-rich saline on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in aged mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Seventy-two male C57BL/6 mice,aged 18 months,weighing 45-55 g,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =18 each):control group (group C),hydrogen-rich saline group (group H),POCD group and POCD + hydrogen-rich saline group (group PH).POCD was induced by open tibial fracture.Hydrogen-rich saline 10 ml/kg was injected intraperitoneally twice a day for 7 days before surgery.Six mice were chosen at day 1,3 and 7 after surgery and cognitive function was assessed by Morris water maze test.The mice were then sacrificed and hippocampus was isolated for determination of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) contents (by ELISA) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity.Results Compared with group C,the escape latency was significantly prolonged,the time of staying at the original platform quadrant was shortened,the frequency of crossing the original platform was decreased at 3 and 7 days after surgery,and the contents of NF-α and IL-1β and NF-κB activity were increased during 1,3 and 7 days after surgery in group POCD (P ＜ 0.05),and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group H (P ＞ 0.05).Compared with group POCD,the escape latency was significantly shortened,the time of staying at the original platform quadrant was prolonged,the frequency of crossing the original platform was increased at 3 and 7 days after surgery,and the contents of NF-α and IL-1β and NF-κB activity were decreased at 1,3 and 7 days after surgery.Conclusion Hydrogen-rich saline can alleviate POCD via inhibiting NK-κB activity in hippocampus and reducing inflammatory response. Key words: Hydrogen ;  Cognition disorders ;  NF-kappa B