Pramipexole alleviates traumatic brain injury in rats through inhibiting necroptosis

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has high morbidity, mortality and disability. Cell death runs through its occurrence and development. Necroptosis is a recently discovered mode of cell death. Its mechanism still has not been fully resolved. Studies which researcher published before showed that: pramipexole could play a neuroprotective role by inducing hypothermia; receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1) could play a neuroprotective role by regulating necroptosis. On this basis, we carried out the experiments and it was observed that we could establish a hypothermia model of SD rats safely and effectively via pramipexole. Meanwhile, necroptosis and expression of RIP1 and its related proteins did change. As a result, the prognosis of TBI rats did improve. In brief, we found that pramipexole could play a protective role after TBI by inhibiting necroptosis. We hope our investigation would provide new theoretical basis to improve the outcome of clinical TBI patients.