3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury

3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a naturally occurring bis-indole found in cruciferous vegetables and produced in small amounts in the normal flora of the human gut, has demonstrated neuroprotective benefits in models of CNS hypoxia and stroke. In the CNS, DIM modulates the activation of the aryl hydroc...

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Main Authors: Carlos A. Dallera, Fabiola Placeres-Uray, Patrizzia Mastromatteo-Alberga, Maria Dominguez-Torres, Alyssa F. Balleste, Aditi S. Gorthy, Tyler S. Rahimzadeh, Isabelle Aliancin, W. Dalton Dietrich, Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari, Irwin C. Jacobs, Elizabeth A. Chlipala, Hannah Benton, Michael A. Zeligs, Coleen M. Atkins
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Neurotherapeutics
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747925000091
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author Carlos A. Dallera
Fabiola Placeres-Uray
Patrizzia Mastromatteo-Alberga
Maria Dominguez-Torres
Alyssa F. Balleste
Aditi S. Gorthy
Tyler S. Rahimzadeh
Isabelle Aliancin
W. Dalton Dietrich
Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari
Irwin C. Jacobs
Elizabeth A. Chlipala
Hannah Benton
Michael A. Zeligs
Coleen M. Atkins
author_facet Carlos A. Dallera
Fabiola Placeres-Uray
Patrizzia Mastromatteo-Alberga
Maria Dominguez-Torres
Alyssa F. Balleste
Aditi S. Gorthy
Tyler S. Rahimzadeh
Isabelle Aliancin
W. Dalton Dietrich
Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari
Irwin C. Jacobs
Elizabeth A. Chlipala
Hannah Benton
Michael A. Zeligs
Coleen M. Atkins
author_sort Carlos A. Dallera
collection DOAJ
description 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a naturally occurring bis-indole found in cruciferous vegetables and produced in small amounts in the normal flora of the human gut, has demonstrated neuroprotective benefits in models of CNS hypoxia and stroke. In the CNS, DIM modulates the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and inhibits its pro-inflammatory effects. Although capable of crossing the blood brain barrier, DIM's bioavailability is limited by its low solubility. Dispersed BR4044 provides a nanoscale high-solubility DIM suspension with the potential for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present study aimed to determine whether BR4044 treatment could reduce pathology and improve behavioral recovery following moderate TBI. Male Sprague Dawley rats received moderate fluid percussion injury or sham surgery followed by vehicle or BR4044 treatment in the acute recovery period. TBI BR4044 animals showed significantly reduced cortical and hippocampal edema and lower levels of serum-derived extracellular vesicles compared to TBI Vehicle animals. BR4044 treatment of TBI animals preserved sensorimotor function and associative fear memory. Cortical contusion size and neuronal loss in the parietal cortex and CA3 region of the hippocampus were also significantly reduced with BR4044 treatment. BR4044 also decreased microbleeding and nuclear AhR at the contusion site. This translational study demonstrates that BR4044 ameliorates pathology and improves neurological outcomes following TBI by reducing brain edema, lowering acute extracellular vesicle release, modulating AhR, preserving cortical and hippocampal neurons, reducing red blood cell (RBC) extravasation into the injured brain, and promoting behavioral recovery.
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spelling doaj-art-6fc3db09e5284e5a881d28ee6320762f2025-08-20T02:00:59ZengElsevierNeurotherapeutics1878-74792025-03-01222e0053110.1016/j.neurot.2025.e005313,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injuryCarlos A. Dallera0Fabiola Placeres-Uray1Patrizzia Mastromatteo-Alberga2Maria Dominguez-Torres3Alyssa F. Balleste4Aditi S. Gorthy5Tyler S. Rahimzadeh6Isabelle Aliancin7W. Dalton Dietrich8Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari9Irwin C. Jacobs10Elizabeth A. Chlipala11Hannah Benton12Michael A. Zeligs13Coleen M. Atkins14The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USAThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USABoulder BioScience, LLC, Boulder, CO, USAPremier Laboratory, LLC, Longmont, CO, USAPremier Laboratory, LLC, Longmont, CO, USABoulder BioScience, LLC, Boulder, CO, USA; Corresponding authors.The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, USA; Corresponding authors.3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a naturally occurring bis-indole found in cruciferous vegetables and produced in small amounts in the normal flora of the human gut, has demonstrated neuroprotective benefits in models of CNS hypoxia and stroke. In the CNS, DIM modulates the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and inhibits its pro-inflammatory effects. Although capable of crossing the blood brain barrier, DIM's bioavailability is limited by its low solubility. Dispersed BR4044 provides a nanoscale high-solubility DIM suspension with the potential for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present study aimed to determine whether BR4044 treatment could reduce pathology and improve behavioral recovery following moderate TBI. Male Sprague Dawley rats received moderate fluid percussion injury or sham surgery followed by vehicle or BR4044 treatment in the acute recovery period. TBI BR4044 animals showed significantly reduced cortical and hippocampal edema and lower levels of serum-derived extracellular vesicles compared to TBI Vehicle animals. BR4044 treatment of TBI animals preserved sensorimotor function and associative fear memory. Cortical contusion size and neuronal loss in the parietal cortex and CA3 region of the hippocampus were also significantly reduced with BR4044 treatment. BR4044 also decreased microbleeding and nuclear AhR at the contusion site. This translational study demonstrates that BR4044 ameliorates pathology and improves neurological outcomes following TBI by reducing brain edema, lowering acute extracellular vesicle release, modulating AhR, preserving cortical and hippocampal neurons, reducing red blood cell (RBC) extravasation into the injured brain, and promoting behavioral recovery.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747925000091Blood-brain barrierDiindolylmethaneEdemaExtracellular vesiclesLearning and memoryTraumatic brain injury
spellingShingle Carlos A. Dallera
Fabiola Placeres-Uray
Patrizzia Mastromatteo-Alberga
Maria Dominguez-Torres
Alyssa F. Balleste
Aditi S. Gorthy
Tyler S. Rahimzadeh
Isabelle Aliancin
W. Dalton Dietrich
Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari
Irwin C. Jacobs
Elizabeth A. Chlipala
Hannah Benton
Michael A. Zeligs
Coleen M. Atkins
3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
Neurotherapeutics
Blood-brain barrier
Diindolylmethane
Edema
Extracellular vesicles
Learning and memory
Traumatic brain injury
title 3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
title_full 3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
title_fullStr 3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
title_full_unstemmed 3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
title_short 3,3′-Diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
title_sort 3 3 diindolylmethane improves pathology and neurological outcome following traumatic brain injury
topic Blood-brain barrier
Diindolylmethane
Edema
Extracellular vesicles
Learning and memory
Traumatic brain injury
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747925000091
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