Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 improves neurological outcomes by attenuating TBI- induced inflammatory responses and MAPK activation in rats

•Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, Exendin-4, played a neurotrophic role in various CNS neurological diseases.•Exendin-4 promoted neurological, cognitive, and cerebral blood flow recovery, and attenuated neural degeneration and inflammatory cytokines after TBI.•Exendin-4 diminished the TBI-induced overexpression of TNFα and IL-1β, as well as phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2.