Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39861176›Full record

ArticlePharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Exploring Azithromycin's Neuroprotective Role in Traumatic Brain Injury: Insights into Cognitive and Motor Recovery and Neuroinflammatory Modulation.

Mohannad A Almikhlafi, Nehad A Abdallah, Aakash Kumar, Tarun Sharma, Zuber Khan, Haifa A Fadil, Sultan Althagfan, Ahmed K B Aljohani, Sara A Almadani, Samar F Miski and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Beyond Histamine Blockade: Clemastine Fumarate as a Promoter of Myelin Regeneration, Inflammatory Regulation, and Neuroimmune Modulation in CNS Disorders.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Mohannad A AlmikhlafiDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-4499-8605
Nehad A AbdallahDepartment of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-5662-2173
Aakash KumarDivision of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar 144603, Punjab, India.ORCID 0009-0003-6879-2104
Tarun SharmaDivision of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar 144603, Punjab, India.
Zuber KhanDivision of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar 144603, Punjab, India.ORCID 0000-0002-0887-754X
Haifa A FadilDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-3123-0127
Sultan AlthagfanDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed K B AljohaniDepartment of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-2332-1125
Sara A AlmadaniDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.
Samar F MiskiDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0000-2813-245X
Tahani SaeediDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0009-0941-9696
Rayan S AlharbiDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0002-3096-9130
Abdulrahman M Al-HartheDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed H AlsubhiDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0009-0004-7366-6863
Hanaa WanasDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed AldhafiriDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-3127-6299
Sidharth MehanDivision of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar 144603, Punjab, India.ORCID 0000-0003-0034-835X
Hossein M ElbadawyDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah 41477, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

King Salman center For Disability Research KSRG-2023-109
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and often results in substantial cognitive, motor, and psychological impairments, triggering oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. This study examined the neuroprotective effects of azithromycin (AZI) in TBI.

methodsTBI was induced in rats using the weight-drop method. Subsequently, rats received a daily intraperitoneal (I.P.) dose of AZI (150 mg/kg) for 28 days. Behavioral tests (Morris water maze, rotarod, and open field tests) were performed to assess cognitive and motor functions. Neurochemical analyses included oxidative stress markers (GSH, SOD, MDA, catalase), inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β), apoptotic markers (caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2), mitochondrial complexes (complex I, II, III, IV, and V), and the transforming growth factor- beta (TGF-β) as a neurofilament marker. Histological evaluations focused on neuronal integrity in the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum.

resultsTreatment with AZI significantly facilitated motor and cognitive function recovery in TBI-affected rats. At the molecular level, AZI effectively reduced oxidative stress markers, ameliorated neuroinflammation by decreasing TNF-α, IL-1β, and neuronal apoptosis, and differentially modulated mitochondrial complexes. Histological assessments revealed enhanced neuronal integrity and fewer pathological changes in AZI-treated rats compared to untreated TBI controls.

conclusionsAZI was shown to interfere with several pathways involved in TBI's pathophysiology. While preclinical results are promising, further studies are necessary to establish the long-term safety and efficacy of AZI in a clinical setting. This research supports the potential re-purposing of AZI as a novel treatment strategy for TBI and related neurodegenerative disorders.

Indexed as

azithromycinneuroprotectiontraumatic brain injury

Identifiers

PMID39861176
PMCPMC11768596

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.