The effect of subarachnoid erythrocyte lysate on brain injury: a preliminary study

Abundant erythrocytes remain and lyse partially in the subarachnoid space after severe subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). But the effect of subarachnoid erythrocyte lysate on brain injury is still not completely clear. In this study, autologous erythrocytes (the non-lysate group) and their lysate (the lysate group) were injected separately into the cistern magna of rabbits to induce a model of experimental SAH, although the control group received isotonic sodium chloride solution instead of erythrocyte solution. Results showed that vasospasm of the basilar artery was observed at 72 h after experimental SAH, but there was no significant difference between the non-lysate group and the lysate group. Brain injury was more severe in the lysate group than in the non-lysate group. Meanwhile, the levels of peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2), IL-6 and TNF-α in brain cortex and in CSF were significantly higher in the lysate group than those in the non-lysate group. These results demonstrated that brain injury was more likely to be caused by erythrocyte lysate than by intact erythrocytes in subarachnoid space, and inflammation response positively correlated with Prx2 expression might be involved in mechanism of brain injury after SAH.