Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant cause of infection in burn wounds. Antibiotics are widely used to treat infectious diseases, including burn wound infections, and alongside their therapeutic benefits, they can damage host cells. Significant side effects, such as nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity, are observed in 60% of patients treated with colistin. Therefore, using a suitable alternative instead of antibiotics is paramount. This study aimed to investigate the effects of phage therapy and antibiotic therapy on memory function in rats with P. aeruginosa infected burn wounds. Adult male rats were divided into three groups (n = 8): Group 1, infected without treatment (control). Group 2, infected and treated with colistin antibiotic (3000000 international units/kg/day), Group 3, infected and treated with100 µl of phage suspension (approximately 109 PFU/ml). In all animals, after anesthesia, a third-degree burn was created in the back area. One hour later, treatment was performed for 7 consecutive days. Passive avoidance test, novel object recognition test, locomotion activity, number of healthy neurons in the CA1-CA2 and CA3 hippocampus areas, and the level of oxidative stress in blood serum were measured. In antibiotic treated group memory recall, recognition index, number of healthy neurons in CA1, CA2, and CA3 hippocampus areas and the amounts of MDA, and FRAP significantly decreased compared to the control group. The phage treated group was not shown any harmful effect on the memory process and the number of healthy hippocampal neurons compared to the antibiotic group. Also, in blood serum examinations, phage therapy showed more positive effects than antibiotic therapy.
