The Relationship Between the Therapy of Radioactive Cerebral Edema with Methylprednisolone and Dexamethasone and the Transcription Level of Erb-B1: A Research Study

Objective: To study the effect of methylprednisolone and dexamethasone to radioactive cerebral edema and the transcription level of erb-B1.Methods: One hundred male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups at random (n = 20). Group A was irradiated and treated with 30mg/kg methylprednisolone, group B was irradiated and treated with 10mg/kg methylprednisolone, group C was irradiated and treated with 5mg/kg dexamethasone, group D was irradiated without glucocorticoid, and group E was normal control. Implanted glioma cells in brains of rats of groups A, B, C, D, and E were irradiated with Co60 15 days after implantation. All groups were given daily intravenous glucocorticoid or normal saline, beginning 3 days before irradiation and ending 6 days after irradiation. The water content of the brains of the rats and the transcription level of erb-B1 were measured 7 days after irradiation.Results: Regarding the water content of the rat brains and the transcription level of erb-B1 mRNA, there is significant difference (P < 0.05) between group D and groups A, B, and C and also group E and groups A, B, and C. There is significant difference (P < 0.05) between group D and group E and between group C and group A and also group C and group B, but there is no significant difference between group A and group B.Conclusions: Methylprednisolone and dexamethasone can protect both the radiation-induced injury and brain edema changes by inhibiting the transcription level of erb-B2 mRNA in rats. Methylprednisolone is more efficient than dexamethasone.