Xenon improves long-term cognitive function, reduces neuronal loss and chronic neuroinflammation, and improves survival after traumatic brain injury in mice.

Background.Xenon is a noble gas with neuroprotective properties. We previously showed that xenon improves short and long-term outcomes in young adult mice after controlled cortical impact (CCI). This is a follow-up study investigating xenon’s effect on very long-term outcome and survival. Methods.C57BL/6N (n=72) young adult male mice received single CCI or sham surgery and were treated with either xenon (75%Xe:25%O2) or control gas (75% N2:25%O2). The outcomes used were: 1) 24-hour lesion volume and neurological outcome score; 2)contextual fear-conditioning at 2 weeks and 20 months; 3) corpus callosum white matter quantification; 4) immunohistological assessment of neuroinflammation and neu…

Xenon treatment improves short-term and long-term outcomes in a rodent model of traumatic brain injury

Xenon Improves Neurologic Outcome and Reduces Secondary Injury Following Trauma in an In Vivo Model of Traumatic Brain Injury*

Objectives: To determine the neuroprotective efficacy of the inert gas xenon following traumatic brain injury and to determine whether application of xenon has a clinically relevant therapeutic time window. Design: Controlled animal study. Setting: University research laboratory. Subjects: Male C57BL/6N mice (n = 196). Interventions: Seventy-five percent xenon, 50% xenon, or 30% xenon, with 25% oxygen (balance nitrogen) treatment following mechanical brain lesion by controlled cortical impact. Measurements and Main Results: Outcome following trauma was measured using 1) functional neurologic outcome score, 2) histological measurement of contusion volume, and 3) analysis of locomotor functio…