The Effect of Rutin on Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury and Edema in Rats

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of rutin, which is a vitamin P1 flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effects, on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and edema in rats.

Materials and methods: Rats were divided into 3 groups as sham group without brain trauma (SG), brain trauma without medication (BT) group and Rutin treated brain trauma (RBT) group. Fifty mg/kg rutin was administered to the RBT group once a day for three days. On the fourth day, rats were sacrificed. Extracted brain tissues were examined biochemically and histopathologically.

Results: We found that the levels of malondialdehyde, nuclear factor-kappa B and tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased, and those of total glutathione increased significantly. Furthermore, rutin administration reduced pyramidal neuron degeneration and poly-morpho-nuclear-leucocyte accumulation due to trauma in brain tissue, while eliminating edema.

Conclusion: Rutin might be effective in the treatment of TBI and TBI-related brain edema.

Keywords: Traumatic brain injury; brain edema; rutin.