Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs in a very short time, the biological consequence of a TBI, such as Alzheimer’s disease, may last a lifetime. To date, effective interventions are not available to improve recovery from a TBI. Herein we aimed to ascertain whether recovery of neurosurgical high-frequency irreversible electroporation (HFIRE) injury in brain tissues can be accelerated by 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF).

The HFIRE injury was induced in the right parietal cortex of 8 adult healthy and neurologically intact male dogs. Two weeks before HFIRE injury, each dog was administered orally with or without 7,8-DHF (30 mg/kg) once daily for consecutive 2 weeks (n = 4 for each group). The values of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, brain edema, and cerebral infarction volumes were measured. The concentrations of beta-amyloid, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the cerebrospinal fluid were measured biochemically.

The BBB disruption, brain edema, infarction volumes, and maximal cross-section area caused by HFIRE injury in canine brain were significantly attenuated by 7,8-DHF therapy (P < 0.0001). Additionally, 7,8-DHF significantly reduced the HFIRE-induced cerebral overproduction of beta-amyloid and proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (P < 0.0001) in dogs with HFIRE.

Recovery of neurosurgical HFIRE injury in canine brain tissues can be accelerated by 7,8-DHT via ameliorating BBB disruption as well as cerebral overproduction of both beta-amyloid and proinflammatory cytokines.