Neuroprotective effect of suppression of astrocytic activation by arundic acid on brain injuries in rats with acute subdural hematomas

•We studied whether arundic acid improves the secondary ischemic damage induced by ASDH.•This mechanism relied on the expression of S100 protein produced by activated astrocytes around the ischemic lesions.•Arundic acid reduced infarction volumes and apoptotic cells around the ischemic lesion as well as decreased apoptotic cells.

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) can cause massive ischemic cerebral blood flow (CBF) underneath the hematoma, but early surgical evacuation of the mass reduces mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether arundic acid improves the secondary ischemic damage induced by ASDH. Our results confirmed that arundic acid decreases the expression of S100 protein produced by activated astrocytes around ischemic lesions due to cytotoxic edema after ASDH as well as reducing infarction volumes and numbers of apoptotic cells around the ischemic lesions.In this study, we also evaluate the relationship of brain edema and the expression of Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in an ASDH model. The expression of AQP4 was decreased in the acute phase after ASDH. Cytotoxic edema, assumed to be the main cause of ASDH, could also cause ischemic lesions around the edema area. Arundic acid decreased the infarction volume and number of apoptotic cells via suppression of S100 protein expression in ischemic lesions without changing the expression of AQP4.