Title : Therapeutic efficacy of cinnamein in controlled cortical impact mouse model of TBI
Abstract:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major health concern which causes long-term neurological disability particularly in war veterans, athletes and young adults in United States. Despite of intense clinical and research investigations, there is no effective therapy to cease the pathogenesis of the disease. It is believed that axonal injury during TBI is potentiated by neuroinflammation and demyelination and/or failure to remyelination. This study highlights the use of naturally available cinnamein, also chemically known as benzyl cinnamate, in inhibiting neuroinflammation, promoting remyelination and combating the disease process of controlled cortical impact (CCI)-induced TBI in mice. Oral delivery of cinnamein through gavage brought down the activation of microglia and astrocytes to decrease the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) in hippocampus and cortex of TBI mice. Cinnamein treatment also stimulated remyelination in TBI mice as revealed by MBP and NG2 double-labelling, Luxol fast blue (LFB) staining and axonal double-labeling for neurofilament and MBP. Furthermore, oral cinnamein reduced the size of lesion cavity in the brain, improved locomotor functions and restored memory and learning in TBI mice. These results suggest a new neuroprotective property of cinnamein that may be valuable in the treatment of TBI.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- Cinnamein, an ester derivative of cinnamic acid and benzyl alcohol, is used as a flavoring agent and known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties
- In this study, we have shown that cinnamein attenuates glial and astrocytic activation, protects loss of myelination in the cortex after TBI, reduces lesion cavity damage and also improves locomotor and memory functions in TBI mice after 21 days treatment
- These results highlight an undiscovered property of cinnamein and indicate that this naturally-available compound may find its therapeutic use in neurodegenerative disorders as primary or adjunct therapy
