Therearecurrentlynofederallyapprovedneuroprotectiveagentstotreattraumaticbraininjury.Progesterone,ahydrophobicsteroidhormone,hasbeenshowninrecentstudiestoexhibitneuroprotectiveeffectsincontrolledcorticalimpactratmodels.Aktisaproteinkinaseknowntoplayaroleincellsignalingpathwaysthatreduceedema,inflammation,apoptosis,andpromotecellgrowthinthebrain.ThisstudyaimstodetermineifprogesteronemodulatesthephosphorylationofAktviaitsthreonine308phosphorylationsite.Phosphorylationatthethreonine308siteisoneofseveralsitesresponsibleforactivatingAktandenablingtheproteinkinasetocarryoutitsneuroprotectiveeffects.ToassesstheeffectsofprogesteroneonAktphosphorylation,C57BL/6miceweretreatedwithprogesterone(8mg/kg)at1(intraperitonally),6,24,and48hours(subcutaneously)postclosed-skulltraumaticbraininjury.Thehippocampuswasharvestedat72hourspostinjuryandpreparedforwesternblotanalysis.TraumaticbraininjurycausedasignificantdecreaseinAktphosphorylationcomparedtoshamoperation.However,micetreatedwithprogesteronefollowingtraumaticbraininjuryhadanincreaseinphosphorylationofAktcomparedtotraumaticbraininjuryvehicle.Ourfindingssuggestthatprogesteroneisaviabletreatmentoptionforactivatingneuroprotectivepathwaysaftertraumaticbraininjury.
