MATERIAL and METHODS: The study included 54 female Sprague-Dawley rats with weights ranging between 200 and 250 g. Six experimental groups were examined with each group containing 9 rats. All rats were exposed to head trauma, and treatment groups were administered 2 ?l of one of the drugs (albumin, mannitol, hypertonic sodium chloride (NaCl), glycerin and dextran) 6, 12 and 24 hours after the trauma via the cerebroventricular route and using a stereotactic device. Rats were sacrificed 48 hours after the trauma, and brain tissues were extracted without damage. Biochemical analyses including reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-?), and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1?) were performed on the injured left hemisphere.

RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the albumin, mannitol, 3% NaCl and glycerin treatment groups revealed dramatic increases in GSH levels (p<0.001). Levels of MDA, which is the end-product of brain edema and lipid peroxidation, failed to show a statistically significant decrease, but there was a decreasing trend observed in the inter-group comparisons. NO levels were also decreased in the 3% NaCl treatment group. An analysis of TNF-? and IL-1?, two proinflammatory cytokines associated with the trauma, revealed that IL-1? decreased significantly in all treatment groups (p=0.001), whereas no significant difference was detected in TNF-? levels.

CONCLUSION: Cerebroventricular administration of hyperoncotic/hyperosmotic agents provides substantial effects on the treatment of brain edema. Keywords : Albumin, Brain edema, Cerebroventricular administration, Dextran, Glycerin, Head trauma, Mannitol, NaCl