Inhibition of cytoskeletal protein carbonylation may protect against oxidative damage in traumatic brain injury

Oxidative stress is the principal factor in traumatic brain injury (TBI) that initiates protracted neuronal dysfunction and remodeling. Cytoskeletal proteins are known to be carbonylated under oxidative stress; however, the complex molecular and cellular mechanisms of cytoskeletal protein carbonylation remain poorly understood. In the present study, the expression levels of glutathione (GSH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were investigated in PC12 cells treated with H2O2. Western blot analysis was used to monitor the carbonylation levels of β-actin and β-tubulin. The results indicated that oxidative stress was increased in PC12 cells that were treated with H2O2 for 24 or 48 h. In addition, increased carbonylation levels of β-actin and β-tubulin were detected in H2O2-treated cells. However, these carbonylation levels were reduced by pretreatment with aminoguanidine, a type of reactive carbonyl species chelating agent, and a similar trend was observed following overexpression of proteasome β5 via transgenic technology. In conclusion, the present study results suggested that the development of TBI may cause carbonylation of cytoskeletal proteins, which would then undermine the stability of cytoskeletal proteins. Thus, the development of TBI may be improved via the inhibition of cytoskeletal protein carbonylation.