p-Coumaric acid reverses spatial cognitive decline in a rat model of traumatic brain injury: Possible underlying mechanisms

This study investigated the efficacy of p-coumaric acid (p-CA), a natural phenolic compound, on traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced spatial cognitive deficits and the possible involved mechanisms. Rats received p-CA (100 mg/kg, orally) 30 min after diffuse TBI induction. Spatial memory, neuroplasticity, oxidative stress, and histological alterations were evaluated at scheduled time points. TBI reduced spatial memory capacity on days 1, 3, and 7 in the water-maze task, which was associated with suppressed hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) at the perforant path-dentate gyrus (PP-DG) synapses. These deficits were accompanied by the inhibition of the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the promotion of lipid peroxidation in the hippocampal and cerebral cortex areas. Moreover, TBI resulted in neuronal loss in the DG. Interestingly, p-CA treatment ameliorated all the above-mentioned TBI outcomes. The findings demonstrate that p-CA alleviates TBI-induced spatial cognitive impairment, possibly by mitigating hippocampal synaptic dysfunction, modulating oxidative-antioxidative status, and preventing neuronal loss.