Age Is a Significant Factor in Aggravating Brain Injury Following Spontaneous Intracerebral Helnorrhage in Rats

Objective： To investigate the effects of age on neurological deficit, cerebral edema, changes of heat shock protein 32 （HSP32） levels following spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage （ICH） in rats. Methods： A total of 102 Sprague-Dawley rats, 3-, 10- and 18-month-old groups （n = 34 in each group） were induced intracerebral hemorrhage. Brain water content, HSP32 expression and behavior assessment were detected, respectively. Results： As compared with the 3- and 10-month-old groups, cerebral edema and neurological deficit were more severe in the 18-month-old group （P all 〈0.05）. Jhe levels of HSP32 were also up-regulated significantly. Conclusions： Age is a significant factor in the early brain injury following ICH in rats. At the same time, it is also in relation to neurological functional recovery. Key words: intracerebral hemorrhage;  age;  brain edema;  heat shock protein