Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Feb 2008
The neuroprotective effects of xenon and helium in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury.
The "inert" gas xenon has been shown to be an effective neuroprotectant in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models of neuronal injury. We examined its neuroprotective properties in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury. ⋯ The inert gases helium and xenon are effective neuroprotectants in a model for traumatic brain injury, and this novel treatment warrants further investigation. Xenon was particularly effective at reducing the secondary injury that developed following the initial trauma and could be administered at least 3 hrs postinjury with only a small reduction in efficacy.