Abstract: AIM: To investigate the protective effect of 6 %Hydroxyethyl Starch (HES, 200 0.5) on the brain of hemorrhagic-shocked rats.METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (group A) , hemorrhagic shocked group(group B) , whole blood return group(group C) , HES at 2x shed blood volume(SBV) group(group D) , HES at 1x SBV plus 1/2 SBV group(group E).Hemorrhagic Shock was induced by intermittently withdrawing blood from an iliac catheter.Except group A and B, the other groups were resuscitated with different liquids and lasted 30 min after 1h for shock.The extent of brain edema and inflammatory cells infiltrating was observed by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining,and the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in the rat brain and translocation of nucleus were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blot method. RESULTS: Except the sham group, there were brain edema and inflammatory cells infiltrating in the other groups, which was more obvious in group C and D.The expression of NF-κB in the rat brain was significantly increased in group B and other groups as compared with those in group A (P<0.01);but their increase were markedly decreased in group E as compared with those in C and D groups(P<0.05 orP<0.01).The increase of translocation of NF-κB was nearly accordant with the expression of NF-κB in the rat brain in every group.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the expression and the translocation of nucleus of NF-κB in brain tissue were significantly increased in the rat during early hemorrhagic shock (acute blood loss was 35 % of the estimated total blood).6 %HES in the normal doses resuscitation can decrease the expression and the translocation of nucleus of NF-κB, and alleviate the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury , and there is the protective effect on the rat brain during hemorrhagic shock.

Key words: Hydroxyethyl Starch, brain, nuclearfactor kappa-B