Expression of c-Fos and c-Myc and deposition of beta-APP in neurons in the adult rat brain as a result of exposure to short-lasting impulse noise

Mechanism of Alzheimer type II astrocyte development in hepatic encephalopathy

Type C hepatic encephalopathy (Type C HE) is a major and complex neurological condition that occurs following chronic liver failure. The molecular basis of Type C HE remains elusive. Type C HE is characterized by mental confusion, cognitive and motor disturbances. The presence of Alzheimer type II astrocytes (AT2A) is the key histopathological finding observed in Type C HE. However, nothing is currently known regarding AT2A development and its involvement in cognitive, and motor deficits in Type C HE. We, therefore, examined in rats the mechanisms by which liver failure contributes to the progression of AT2A, and its role in the development of cognitive and motor deficits in thioacetamide (TAA) model of Type C HE. We and others earlier reported increased oxidative/nitrosative stress (ONS), JNK1/2, and cMyc activation in ammonia-treated astrocyte cultures, as well as in brains from chronic liver failure. We now found increased levels of astrocytic glia maturation factor (GMF, a factor strongly implicated in neuroinflammation), as well as various inflammatory factors (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-3, COX2, CXCL1, and PGE2), and reduced levels of GFAP and increased levels of aggregated nuclear protein Lamin A/C in rat brain cortex post-chronic liver failure. We also found increased levels of GMF and inflammatory factors (MMP-3, COX2, CXCL1, and PGE2) in astrocytes post-ammonia treatment in vitro. Additionally, pharmacological inhibition of upstream signaling of GMF (ONS, JNK1/2, and cMyc) or GMF inhibitors W-7 and trifluoperazine significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory factors, the number of AT2A cells, as well as the cognitive and motor deficits in TAA-treated rats. Increased levels of GMF were also identified in human post-mortem brain sections. These findings strongly suggest that increased levels of astrocytic GMF due to elevated levels of ONS, JNK1/2, and cMyc and the subsequent inflammation contribute to the development of AT2A and the consequent cognitive, and motor deficits in chronic liver failure.

Health position paper and redox perspectives - Disease burden by transportation noise

Transportation noise is a ubiquitous urban exposure. In 2018, the World Health Organization concluded that chronic exposure to road traffic noise is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease. In contrast, they concluded that the quality of evidence for a link to other diseases was very low to moderate. Since then, several studies on the impact of noise on various diseases have been published. Also, studies investigating the mechanistic pathways underlying noise-induced health effects are emerging. We review the current evidence regarding effects of noise on health and the related disease-mechanisms. Several high-quality cohort studies consistently found road traffic noise to be associated with a higher risk of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, diabetes, and all-cause mortality. Furthermore, recent studies have indicated that road traffic and railway noise may increase the risk of diseases not commonly investigated in an environmental noise context, including breast cancer, dementia, and tinnitus. The harmful effects of noise are related to activation of a physiological stress response and nighttime sleep disturbance. Oxidative stress and inflammation downstream of stress hormone signaling and dysregulated circadian rhythms are identified as major disease-relevant pathomechanistic drivers. We discuss the role of reactive oxygen species and present results from antioxidant interventions. Lastly, we provide an overview of oxidative stress markers and adverse redox processes reported for noise-exposed animals and humans. This position paper summarizes all available epidemiological, clinical, and preclinical evidence of transportation noise as an important environmental risk factor for public health and discusses its implications on the population level.

Cerebral consequences of environmental noise exposure

The importance of noise exposure as a major environmental determinant of public health is being increasingly recognized. While in recent years a large body evidence has emerged linking environmental noise exposure mainly to cardiovascular disease, much less is known concerning the adverse health effects of noise on the brain and associated neuropsychiatric outcomes. Despite being a relatively new area of investigation, indeed, mounting research and conclusive evidence demonstrate that exposure to noise, primarily from traffic sources, may affect the central nervous system and brain, thereby contributing to an increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders such as stroke, dementia and cognitive decline, neurodevelopmental disorders, depression, and anxiety disorder. On a mechanistic level, a significant number of studies suggest the involvement of reactive oxygen species/oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways, among others, to fundamentally drive the adverse brain health effects of noise exposure. This in-depth review on the cerebral consequences of environmental noise exposure aims to contribute to the associated research needs by evaluating current findings from human and animal studies. From a public health perspective, these findings may also help to reinforce efforts promoting adequate mitigation strategies and preventive measures to lower the societal consequences of unhealthy environments.

Limbic Responses Following Shock Wave Exposure in Male and Female Mice

Blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) presents a serious threat to military personnel and often results in psychiatric conditions related to limbic system dysfunction. In this study, the functional outcomes for anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal activation were evaluated in male and female mice after exposure to an Advanced Blast Simulator (ABS) shock wave. Mice were placed in a ventrally exposed orientation inside of the ABS test section and received primary and tertiary shock wave insults of approximately 15 psi peak pressure. Evans blue staining indicated cases of blood-brain barrier breach in the superficial cerebral cortex four, but not 24 h after blast, but the severity was variable. Behavioral testing with the elevated plus maze (EPM) or elevated zero maze (EZM), sucrose preference test (SPT), and tail suspension test (TST) or forced swim test (FST) were conducted 8 days–3.5 weeks after shock wave exposure. There was a sex difference, but no injury effect, for distance travelled in the EZM where female mice travelled significantly farther than males. The SPT and FST did not indicate group differences; however, injured mice were less immobile than sham mice during the TST; possibly indicating more agitated behavior. In a separate cohort of animals, the expression of the immediate early gene, c-Fos, was detected 4 h after undergoing bTBI or sham procedures. No differences in c-Fos expression were found in the cerebral cortex, but female mice in general displayed enhanced c-Fos activation in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) compared to male mice. In the amygdala, more c-Fos-positive cells were observed in injured animals compared to sham mice. The observed sex differences in the PVT and c-Fos activation in the amygdala may correlate with the reported hyperactivity of females post-injury. This study demonstrates, albeit with mild effects, behavioral and neuronal activation correlates in female rodents after blast injury that could be relevant to the incidence of increased post-traumatic stress disorder in women.

Relationship Between Chronic Noise Exposure, Cognitive Impairment, and Degenerative Dementia: Update on the Experimental and Epidemiological Evidence and Prospects for Further Research

Degenerative dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common form, is characterized by the gradual deterioration of cognitive function. The events that trigger and promote degenerative dementia are not clear, and treatment options are limited. Experimental and epidemiological studies have revealed chronic noise exposure (CNE) as a potential risk factor for cognitive impairment and degenerative dementia. Experimental studies have indicated that long-term exposure to noise might accelerate cognitive dysfunction, amyloid-β deposition, and tau hyperphosphorylation in different brain regions such as the hippocampus and cortex. Epidemiological studies are increasingly examining the possible association between external noise exposure and dementia. In this review, we sought to construct a comprehensive summary of the relationship between CNE, cognitive dysfunction, and degenerative dementia. We also present the limitations of existing evidence as a guide regarding important prospects for future research.

Oral ascorbic acid 2-glucoside prevents coordination disorder induced via laser-induced shock waves in rat brain

Oxidative stress is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary blast-related traumatic brain injury (bTBI). We evaluated the effects of ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA2G), a well-known antioxidant, to control oxidative stress in rat brain exposed to laser-induced shock waves (LISWs). The design consisted of a controlled animal study using male 10-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats. The study was conducted at the University research laboratory. Low-impulse (54 Pa•s) LISWs were transcranially applied to rat brain. Rats were randomized to control group (anesthesia and head shaving, n = 10), LISW group (anesthesia, head shaving and LISW application, n = 10) or LISW + post AA2G group (AA2G administration after LISW application, n = 10) in the first study. In another study, rats were randomized to control group (n = 10), LISW group (n = 10) or LISW + pre and post AA2G group (AA2G administration before and after LISW application, n = 10). The measured outcomes were as follows: (i) motor function assessed by accelerating rotarod test; (ii) levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an oxidative stress marker; (iii) ascorbic acid in each group of rats. Ascorbic acid levels were significantly decreased and 8-OHdG levels were significantly increased in the cerebellum of the LISW group. Motor coordination disorder was also observed in the group. Prophylactic AA2G administration significantly increased the ascorbic acid levels, reduced oxidative stress and mitigated the motor dysfunction. In contrast, the effects of therapeutic AA2G administration alone were limited. The results suggest that the prophylactic administration of ascorbic acid can reduce shock wave-related oxidative stress and prevented motor dysfunction in rats.

Molecular Hydrogen Prevents Social Deficits and Depression-Like Behaviors Induced by Low-Intensity Blast in Mice

Detonation of explosive devices creates blast waves, which can injure brains even in the absence of external injuries. Among these, blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (bmTBI) is increasing in military populations, such as in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Although the clinical presentation of bmTBI is not precisely defined, it is frequently associated with psycho-neurological deficits and usually manifests in the form of poly-trauma including psychiatric morbidity and cognitive disruption. Although the underlying mechanisms of bmTBI are largely unknown, some studies suggested that bmTBI is associated with blood-brain barrier disruption, oxidative stress, and edema in the brain. The present study investigated the effects of novel antioxidant, molecular hydrogen gas, on bmTBI using a laboratory-scale shock tube model in mice. Hydrogen gas has a strong prospect for clinical use due to easy preparation, low-cost, and no side effects. The administration of hydrogen gas significantly attenuated the behavioral deficits observed in our bmTBI model, suggesting that hydrogen application might be a strong therapeutic method for treatment of bmTBI.

Defective methionine metabolism in the brain after repeated blast exposures might contribute to increased oxidative stress

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is one of the major disabilities in Service Members returning from recent military operations. The neurobiological underpinnings of bTBI, which are associated with acute and chronic neuropathological and neurobehavioral deficits, are uncertain. Increased oxidative stress in the brain is reported to play a significant role promoting neuronal damage associated with both brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, brains of rats exposed to repeated blasts in a shock tube underwent untargeted profiling of primary metabolism by automatic linear exchange/cold injection GC-TOF mass spectrometry and revealed acute and sub-acute disruptions in the metabolism of the essential amino acid methionine and associated antioxidants. Methionine sulfoxide, the oxidized metabolite of methionine, showed a sustained increase in the brain after blast exposure which was associated with a significant decrease in cysteine, the amino acid derived from methionine. Glutathione, the antioxidant synthesized from cysteine, also concomitantly decreased as did the antioxidant ascorbic acid. Reductions in ascorbic acid were accompanied by increased levels of its oxidized metabolite, dehydroascorbic acid and other metabolites such as threonic acid, isothreonic acid, glycolic acid and oxalic acid. Fluorometric analysis of the brains showed acute and sub-acute increase in total reactive oxygen species. In view of the fundamental importance of glutathione in the brain as an antioxidant, including its role in the reduction of dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbic acid, the disruptions in methionine metabolism elicited by blast exposure might prominently contribute to neuronal injury by promoting increased and sustained oxidative stress.

Compromised Neurocircuitry in Chronic Blast-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

The aim of this study was to apply recently developed automated fiber segmentation and quantification methods using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and DTI-based deterministic and probabilistic tractography to access local and global diffusion changes in blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (bmTBI). Two hundred and two (202) male active US service members who reported persistent post-concussion symptoms for more than 6 months after injury were recruited. An additional forty (40) male military controls were included for comparison. DTI results were examined in relation to post-concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. No significant group difference in DTI metrics was found using voxel-wise analysis. However, group comparison using tract profile analysis and tract specific analysis, as well as single subject analysis using tract profile analysis revealed the most prominent white matter microstructural injury in chronic bmTBI patients over the frontal fiber tracts, that is, the front-limbic projection fibers (cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus), the fronto-parieto-temporal association fibers (superior longitudinal fasciculus), and the fronto-striatal pathways (anterior thalamic radiation). Effects were noted to be sensitive to the number of previous blast exposures, with a negative association between fractional anisotropy (FA) and time since most severe blast exposure in a subset of the multiple blast-exposed group. However, these patterns were not observed in the subgroups classified using macrostructural changes (T2 white matter hyperintensities). Moreover, post-concussion symptoms and PTSD symptoms, as well as neuropsychological function were associated with low FA in the major nodes of compromised neurocircuitry. Hum Brain Mapp 38:352-369, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pre-Clinical Traumatic Brain Injury Common Data Elements: Toward a Common Language Across Laboratories

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health issue exacting a substantial personal and economic burden globally. With the advent of "big data" approaches to understanding complex systems, there is the potential to greatly accelerate knowledge about mechanisms of injury and how to detect and modify them to improve patient outcomes. High quality, well-defined data are critical to the success of bioinformatics platforms, and a data dictionary of "common data elements" (CDEs), as well as "unique data elements" has been created for clinical TBI research. There is no data dictionary, however, for preclinical TBI research despite similar opportunities to accelerate knowledge. To address this gap, a committee of experts was tasked with creating a defined set of data elements to further collaboration across laboratories and enable the merging of data for meta-analysis. The CDEs were subdivided into a Core module for data elements relevant to most, if not all, studies, and Injury-Model-Specific modules for non-generalizable data elements. The purpose of this article is to provide both an overview of TBI models and the CDEs pertinent to these models to facilitate a common language for preclinical TBI research.

Chronic Noise Exposure Acts Cumulatively to Exacerbate Alzheimer's Disease-Like Amyloid-β Pathology and Neuroinflammation in the Rat Hippocampus

A putative etiological association exists between noise exposure and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology is thought to be one of the primary initiating factors in AD. It has been further suggested that subsequent dysregulation of Aβ may play a mechanistic role in the AD-like pathophysiology associated with noise exposure. Here, we used ELISA, immunoblotting, cytokine arrays, and RT-PCR, to examine both hippocampal Aβ pathology and neuroinflammation in rats at different time points after noise exposure. We found that chronic noise exposure significantly accelerated the progressive overproduction of Aβ, which persisted for 7 to 14 days after the cessation of exposure. This effect was accompanied by up-regulated expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its cleavage enzymes, β- and γ-secretases. Cytokine analysis revealed that chronic noise exposure increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and the receptor for advanced glycation end products, while decreasing the expression of activin A and platelet-derived growth factor- AA. Furthermore, we found persistent elevations of glial fibrillary acidic protein and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 expression that closely corresponded to the noise-induced increases in Aβ and neuroinflammation. These studies suggest that lifelong environmental noise exposure may have cumulative effects on the onset and development of AD.

Effects of blast overpressure on neurons and glial cells in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures

Due to recent involvement in military conflicts, and an increase in the use of explosives, there has been an escalation in the incidence of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) among US military personnel. Having a better understanding of the cellular and molecular cascade of events in bTBI is prerequisite for the development of an effective therapy that currently is unavailable. The present study utilized organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHCs) exposed to blast overpressures of 150 kPa (low) and 280 kPa (high) as an in vitro bTBI model. Using this model, we further characterized the cellular effects of the blast injury. Blast-evoked cell death was visualized by a propidium iodide (PI) uptake assay as early as 2 h post-injury. Quantification of PI staining in the cornu Ammonis 1 and 3 (CA1 and CA3) and the dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus at 2, 24, 48, and 72 h following blast exposure revealed significant time dependent effects. OHCs exposed to 150 kPa demonstrated a slow increase in cell death plateauing between 24 and 48 h, while OHCs from the high-blast group exhibited a rapid increase in cell death already at 2 h, peaking at ~24 h post-injury. Measurements of lactate dehydrogenase release into the culture medium also revealed a significant increase in cell lysis in both low- and high-blast groups compared to sham controls. OHCs were fixed at 72 h post-injury and immunostained for markers against neurons, astrocytes, and microglia. Labeling OHCs with PI, neuronal, and glial markers revealed that the blast-evoked extensive neuronal death and to a lesser extent loss of glial cells. Furthermore, our data demonstrated activation of astrocytes and microglial cells in low- and high-blasted OHCs, which reached a statistically significant difference in the high-blast group. These data confirmed that our in vitro bTBI model is a useful tool for studying cellular and molecular changes after blast exposure.

Low-cost blast wave generator for studies of hearing loss and brain injury: blast wave effects in closed spaces

BACKGROUND

Military personnel and civilians living in areas of armed conflict have increased risk of exposure to blast overpressures that can cause significant hearing loss and/or brain injury. The equipment used to simulate comparable blast overpressures in animal models within laboratory settings is typically very large and prohibitively expensive.

NEW METHOD

To overcome the fiscal and space limitations introduced by previously reported blast wave generators, we developed a compact, low-cost blast wave generator to investigate the effects of blast exposures on the auditory system and brain.

RESULTS

The blast wave generator was constructed largely from off the shelf components, and reliably produced blasts with peak sound pressures of up to 198dB SPL (159.3kPa) that were qualitatively similar to those produced from muzzle blasts or explosions. Exposure of adult rats to 3 blasts of 188dB peak SPL (50.4kPa) resulted in significant loss of cochlear hair cells, reduced outer hair cell function and a decrease in neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

COMPARISON TO EXISTING METHODS

Existing blast wave generators are typically large, expensive, and are not commercially available. The blast wave generator reported here provides a low-cost method of generating blast waves in a typical laboratory setting.

CONCLUSIONS

This compact blast wave generator provides scientists with a low cost device for investigating the biological mechanisms involved in blast wave injury to the rodent cochlea and brain that may model many of the damaging effects sustained by military personnel and civilians exposed to intense blasts.

Animal models of traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health issue comprising a heterogeneous and complex array of pathologies. Over the last several decades, numerous animal models have been developed to address the diverse nature of human TBI. The clinical relevance of these models has been a major point of reflection given the poor translation of pharmacologic TBI interventions to the clinic. While previously characterized broadly as either focal or diffuse, this classification is falling out of favor with increased awareness of the overlap in pathologic outcomes between models and an emerging consensus that no one model is sufficient. Moreover, an appreciation of injury biomechanics is essential in recapitulating and interpreting the spectrum of TBI neuropathology observed in various established models of dynamic closed-head TBI. While these models have replicated many specific features of human TBI, an enhanced context with clinical relevancy will facilitate the further elucidation of the mechanisms and treatment of injury.

Decreased astrocytic thrombospondin-1 secretion after chronic ammonia treatment reduces the level of synaptic proteins: in vitro and in vivo studies

Chronic hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) is a major complication in patients with severe liver disease. Elevated blood and brain ammonia levels have been implicated in its pathogenesis, and astrocytes are the principal neural cells involved in this disorder. Since defective synthesis and release of astrocytic factors have been shown to impair synaptic integrity in other neurological conditions, we examined whether thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), an astrocytic factor involved in the maintenance of synaptic integrity, is also altered in CHE. Cultured astrocytes were exposed to ammonia (NH₄Cl, 0.5-2.5 mM) for 1-10 days, and TSP-1 content was measured in cell extracts and culture media. Astrocytes exposed to ammonia exhibited a reduction in intra- and extracellular TSP-1 levels. Exposure of cultured neurons to conditioned media from ammonia-treated astrocytes showed a decrease in synaptophysin, PSD95, and synaptotagmin levels. Conditioned media from TSP-1 over-expressing astrocytes that were treated with ammonia, when added to cultured neurons, reversed the decline in synaptic proteins. Recombinant TSP-1 similarly reversed the decrease in synaptic proteins. Metformin, an agent known to increase TSP-1 synthesis in other cell types, also reversed the ammonia-induced TSP-1 reduction. Likewise, we found a significant decline in TSP-1 level in cortical astrocytes, as well as a reduction in synaptophysin content in vivo in a rat model of CHE. These findings suggest that TSP-1 may represent an important therapeutic target for CHE. Defective release of astrocytic factors may impair synaptic integrity in chronic hepatic encephalopathy. We found a reduction in the release of the astrocytic matricellular proteins thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) in ammonia-treated astrocytes; such reduction was associated with a decrease in synaptic proteins caused by conditioned media from ammonia-treated astrocytes. Exposure of neurons to CM from ammonia-treated astrocytes, in which TSP-1 is over-expressed, reversed (by approx 75%) the reduction in synaptic proteins. NF-kB = nuclear factor kappa B; PSD95 = post-synaptic density protein 95; ONS = oxidative/nitrative stress.

Antioxidants reduce cellular and functional changes induced by intense noise in the inner ear and cochlear nucleus

The present study marks the first evaluation of combined application of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the free radical spin trap reagent, disodium 2,4-disulfophenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (HPN-07), as a therapeutic approach for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Pharmacokinetic studies and C-14 tracer experiments demonstrated that both compounds achieve high blood levels within 30 min after i.p injection, with sustained levels of radiolabeled cysteine (released from NAC) in the cochlea, brainstem, and auditory cortex for up to 48 h. Rats exposed to 115 dB octave-band noise (10-20 kHz) for 1 h were treated with combined NAC/HPN-07 beginning 1 h after noise exposure and for two consecutive days. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) showed that treatment substantially reduced the degree of threshold shift across all test frequencies (2-16 kHz), beginning at 24 h after noise exposure and continuing for up to 21 days. Reduced distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) level shifts were also detected at 7 and 21 days following noise exposure in treated animals. Noise-induced hair cell (HC) loss, which was localized to the basal half of the cochlea, was reduced in treated animals by 85 and 64% in the outer and inner HC regions, respectively. Treatment also significantly reduced an increase in c-fos-positive neuronal cells in the cochlear nucleus following noise exposure. However, no detectable spiral ganglion neuron loss was observed after noise exposure. The results reported herein demonstrate that the NAC/HPN-07 combination is a promising pharmacological treatment of NIHL that reduces both temporary and permanent threshold shifts after intense noise exposure and acts to protect cochlear sensory cells, and potentially afferent neurites, from the damaging effects of acoustic trauma. In addition, the drugs were shown to reduce aberrant activation of neurons in the central auditory regions of the brain following noise exposure. It is likely that the protective mechanisms are related to preservation of structural components of the cochlea and blocking the activation of immediate early genes in the auditory centers of the brain.

Effects of antioxidant treatment on blast-induced brain injury

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury has dramatically increased in combat troops in today’s military operations. We previously reported that antioxidant treatment can provide protection to the peripheral auditory end organ, the cochlea. In the present study, we examined biomarker expression in the brains of rats at different time points (3 hours to 21 days) after three successive 14 psi blast overpressure exposures to evaluate antioxidant treatment effects on blast-induced brain injury. Rats in the treatment groups received a combination of antioxidants (2,4-disulfonyl α-phenyl tertiary butyl nitrone and N-acetylcysteine) one hour after blast exposure and then twice a day for the following two days. The biomarkers examined included an oxidative stress marker (4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, 4-HNE), an immediate early gene (c-fos), a neural injury marker (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) and two axonal injury markers [amyloid beta (A4) precursor protein, APP, and 68 kDa neurofilament, NF-68]. The results demonstrate that blast exposure induced or up-regulated the following: 4-HNE production in the dorsal hippocampus commissure and the forceps major corpus callosum near the lateral ventricle; c-fos and GFAP expression in most regions of the brain, including the retrosplenial cortex, the hippocampus, the cochlear nucleus, and the inferior colliculus; and NF-68 and APP expression in the hippocampus, the auditory cortex, and the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN). Antioxidant treatment reduced the following: 4-HNE in the hippocampus and the forceps major corpus callosum, c-fos expression in the retrosplenial cortex, GFAP expression in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), and APP and NF-68 expression in the hippocampus, auditory cortex, and MGN. This preliminary study indicates that antioxidant treatment may provide therapeutic protection to the central auditory pathway (the DCN and MGN) and the non-auditory central nervous system (hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex), suggesting that these compounds have the potential to simultaneously treat blast-induced injuries in the brain and auditory system.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressures Resulting From Experimental Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries in a Pig Model

Despite considerable effort over the last four decades, research has failed to translate into consistently effective treatment options for spinal cord injury (SCI). This is partly attributed to differences between the injury response of humans and rodent models. Some of this difference could be because the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer of the human spine is relatively large, while that of the rodents is extremely thin. We sought to characterize the fluid impulse induced in the CSF by experimental SCIs of moderate and high human-like severity, and to compare this with previous studies in which fluid impulse has been associated with neural tissue injury. We used a new in vivo pig model (n = 6 per injury group, mean age 124.5 days, 20.9 kg) incorporating four miniature pressure transducers that were implanted in pairs in the subarachnoid space, cranial, and caudal to the injury at 30 mm and 100 mm. Tissue sparing was assessed with Eriochrome Cyanine and Neutral Red staining. The median peak pressures near the injury were 522.5 and 868.8 mmHg (range 96.7–1430.0) and far from the injury were 7.6 and 36.3 mmHg (range 3.8–83.7), for the moderate and high injury severities, respectively. Pressure impulse (mmHg.ms), apparent wave speed, and apparent attenuation factor were also evaluated. The data indicates that the fluid pressure wave may be sufficient to affect the severity and extent of primary tissue damage close to the injury site. However, the CSF pressure was close to normal physiologic values at 100 mm from the injury. The high injury severity animals had less tissue sparing than the moderate injury severity animals; this difference was statistically significant only within 1.6 mm of the epicenter. These results indicate that future research seeking to elucidate the mechanical origins of primary tissue damage in SCI should consider the effects of CSF. This pig model provides advantages for basic and preclinical SCI research due to its similarities to human scale, including the existence of a human-like CSF fluid layer.

Postconcussional disorder and PTSD symptoms of military-related traumatic brain injury associated with compromised neurocircuitry

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common combat injury, often through explosive blast, and produces heterogeneous brain changes due to various mechanisms of injury. It is unclear whether the vulnerability of white matter differs between blast and impact injury, and the consequences of microstructural changes on neuropsychological function are poorly understood in military TBI patients. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques were used to assess the neurocircuitry in 37 U.S. service members (29 mild, 7 moderate, 1 severe; 17 blast and 20 nonblast), who sustained a TBI while deployed, compared to 14 nondeployed, military controls. High-dimensional deformable registration of MRI diffusion tensor data was followed by fiber tracking and tract-specific analysis along with region-of-interest analysis. DTI results were examined in relation to post-concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The most prominent white matter microstructural injury for both blast and nonblast patients was in the frontal fibers within the fronto-striatal (corona radiata, internal capsule) and fronto-limbic circuits (fornix, cingulum), the fronto-parieto-occipital association fibers, in brainstem fibers, and in callosal fibers. Subcortical superior-inferiorly oriented tracts were more vulnerable to blast injury than nonblast injury, while direct impact force had more detrimental effects on anterior-posteriorly oriented tracts, which tended to cause heterogeneous left and right hemispheric asymmetries of white matter connectivity. The tractography using diffusion anisotropy deficits revealed the cortico-striatal-thalamic-cerebellar-cortical (CSTCC) networks, where increased post-concussion and PTSD symptoms were associated with low fractional anisotropy in the major nodes of compromised CSTCC neurocircuitry, and the consequences on cognitive function were explored as well.

Acute mitochondrial dysfunction after blast exposure: potential role of mitochondrial glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase

Use of improvised explosive devices has significantly increased the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and associated neuropsychiatric deficits in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Acute deleterious effects of single and repeated blast exposure can lead to long-term neurobiological effects and neuropsychiatric deficits. Using in vitro and in vivo shock tube models of blast-induced TBI, we studied changes in mitochondrial energy metabolism after blast exposure. Single and repeated blast exposures in vitro resulted in significant decreases in neuronal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels at 6 h post-blast that returned towards normal levels by 24 h. Similar changes in ATP also were observed in the cerebral cortices of mice subjected to single and repeated blast exposures. In neurons, mitochondrial glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT2) plays a critical role in metabolism and energy production. Proteomic analysis of brain cortices showed a significant decrease in GOT2 levels 6 h after repeated blast exposures, which was further confirmed by Western blotting. Western blot analysis of GOT2 and pyruvate dehydrogenase in the cortex showed direct correlation only between GOT2 and ATP levels. Activity of GOT2 in the isolated cortical mitochondria also showed significant decrease at 6 h supporting the results of proteomic and Western blot analyses. Knowing the significant role of GOT2 in the neuronal mitochondrial energy metabolism, it is quite likely that the down regulation of GOT2 after blast exposure is playing a significant role in mitochondrial dysfunction after blast exposure.

Brain injury risk from primary blast

BACKGROUND

Military service members are often exposed to at least one explosive event, and many blast-exposed veterans present with symptoms of traumatic brain injury. However, there is little information on the intensity and duration of blast necessary to cause brain injury.

METHODS

Varying intensity shock tube blasts were focused on the head of anesthetized ferrets, whose thorax and abdomen were protected. Injury evaluations included physiologic consequences, gross necropsy, and histologic diagnosis. The resulting apnea, meningeal bleeding, and fatality were analyzed using logistic regressions to determine injury risk functions.

RESULTS

Increasing severity of blast exposure demonstrated increasing apnea immediately after the blast. Gross necropsy revealed hemorrhages, frequently near the brain stem, at the highest blast intensities. Apnea, bleeding, and fatality risk functions from blast exposure to the head were determined for peak overpressure and positive-phase duration. The 50% risk of apnea and moderate hemorrhage were similar, whereas the 50% risk of mild hemorrhage was independent of duration and required lower overpressures (144 kPa). Another fatality risk function was determined with existing data for scaled positive-phase durations from 1 millisecond to 20 milliseconds.

CONCLUSION

The first primary blast brain injury risk assessments for mild and moderate/severe injuries in a gyrencephalic animal model were determined. The blast level needed to cause a mild/moderate brain injury may be similar to or less than that needed for pulmonary injury. The risk functions can be used in future research for blast brain injury by providing realistic injury risks to guide the design of protection or evaluate injury.

Visual performance and the ocular surface in traumatic brain injury

The pathophysiology of neurotrauma is reviewed and an original study investigating the prevalence of dry eye disease in a sample of veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is presented. Fifty-three veterans with TBI were evaluated by history of injury, past ocular history, and medication use. Ocular Disease Surface Index (OSDI), ocular examination, cranial nerve evaluation, tear osmolarity, tear film break-up time (TFBUT), ocular surface staining and tear production testing were performed. A matched comparison group underwent similar testing. TBI causes were blast (44) or non-blast (9). TBI subjects scored significantly worse on the OSDI (P<.001), and ocular surface staining by Oxford scale (P<.001) than non-TBI subjects. Scores for tear film breakup (P=.6), basal tear production less than 3 mm (P=.13), and tear osmolarity greater than 314 mOsm/L (P=.15) were all higher in TBI subjects; significantly more TBI subjects had at least one abnormal dry eye measure than comparisons (P<.001). The OSDI related to presence of dry eye symptoms (P<.01). These effects were present in both blast and non-blast TBI. Seventy percent of TBI subjects were taking at least one medication in the following classes: antidepressant, atypical antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, or h1-antihistamine. There was no association between any medication class and the OSDI or dry eye measures. Reduced corneal sensation in 21 TBI subjects was not associated with OSDI, tear production, or TFBUT, but did correlate with reduced tear osmolarity (P=.05). History of refractive surgery, previous contact lens wear, facial nerve weakness, or meibomian gland dysfunction was not associated with DED. In summary, we found a higher prevalence of DED in subjects with TBI, both subjectively and objectively. This effect is unrelated to medication use, and it may persist for months to years. We recommend that patients with TBI from any cause be evaluated for DED using a battery of standard testing methods described in a protocol presented in this article. Further research into the pathophysiology and outcomes of DED in neurotrauma is needed.

Development of a large-animal model to measure dynamic cerebrospinal fluid pressure during spinal cord injury

Object

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often results in considerable permanent neurological impairment, and unfortunately, the successful translation of effective treatments from laboratory models to human patients is lacking. This may be partially attributed to differences in anatomy, physiology, and scale between humans and rodent models. One potentially important difference between the rodent and human spinal cord is the presence of a significant CSF volume within the intrathecal space around the human cord. While the CSF may “cushion” the spinal cord, pressure waves within the CSF at the time of injury may contribute to the extent and severity of the primary injury. The objective of this study was to develop a model of contusion SCI in a miniature pig and establish the feasibility of measuring spinal CSF pressure during injury.

Methods

A custom weight-drop device was used to apply thoracic contusion SCI to 17 Yucatan miniature pigs. Impact load and velocity were measured. Using fiber optic pressure transducers implanted in the thecal sac, CSF pressures resulting from 2 injury severities (caused by 50-g and 100-g weights released from a 50-cm height) were measured.

Results

The median peak impact loads were 54 N and 132 N for the 50-g and 100-g injuries, respectively. At a nominal 100 mm from the injury epicenter, the authors observed a small negative pressure peak (median −4.6 mm Hg [cranial] and −5.8 mm Hg [caudal] for 50 g; −27.6 mm Hg [cranial] and −27.2 mm Hg [caudal] for 100 g) followed by a larger positive pressure peak (median 110.5 mm Hg [cranial] and 77.1 mm Hg [caudal] for 50 g; 88.4 mm Hg [cranial] and 67.2 mm Hg [caudal] for 100 g) relative to the preinjury pressure. There were no significant differences in peak pressure between the 2 injury severities or the caudal and cranial transducer locations.

Conclusions

A new model of contusion SCI was developed to measure spinal CSF pressures during the SCI event. The results suggest that the Yucatan miniature pig is an appropriate model for studying CSF, spinal cord, and dura interactions during injury. With further development and characterization it may be an appropriate in vivo largeanimal model of SCI to answer questions regarding pathological changes, therapeutic safety, or treatment efficacy, particularly where humanlike dimensions and physiology are important.

A Multiscale Approach to Blast Neurotrauma Modeling: Part II: Methodology for Inducing Blast Injury to in vitro Models

Due to the prominent role of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in wounding patterns of U.S. war-fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, blast injury has risen to a new level of importance and is recognized to be a major cause of injuries to the brain. However, an injury risk-function for microscopic, macroscopic, behavioral, and neurological deficits has yet to be defined. While operational blast injuries can be very complex and thus difficult to analyze, a simplified blast injury model would facilitate studies correlating biological outcomes with blast biomechanics to define tolerance criteria. Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) results from the translation of a shock wave in-air, such as that produced by an IED, into a pressure wave within the skull-brain complex. Our blast injury methodology recapitulates this phenomenon in vitro, allowing for control of the injury biomechanics via a compressed-gas shock tube used in conjunction with a custom-designed, fluid-filled receiver that contains the living culture. The receiver converts the air shock wave into a fast-rising pressure transient with minimal reflections, mimicking the intracranial pressure history in blast. We have developed an organotypic hippocampal slice culture model that exhibits cell death when exposed to a 530 ± 17.7-kPa peak overpressure with a 1.026 ± 0.017-ms duration and 190 ± 10.7 kPa-ms impulse in-air. We have also injured a simplified in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier, which exhibits disrupted integrity immediately following exposure to 581 ± 10.0 kPa peak overpressure with a 1.067 ± 0.006-ms duration and 222 ± 6.9 kPa-ms impulse in-air. To better prevent and treat bTBI, both the initiating biomechanics and the ensuing pathobiology must be understood in greater detail. A well-characterized, in vitro model of bTBI, in conjunction with animal models, will be a powerful tool for developing strategies to mitigate the risks of bTBI.

Early induction of c-Myc is associated with neuronal cell death

Neuronal cell cycle activation has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, while the initiating mechanism of cell cycle activation remains to be determined. Interestingly, our previous studies have shown that cell cycle activation by c-Myc (Myc) leads to neuronal cell death which suggests Myc might be a key regulator of cell cycle re-entry mediated neuronal cell death. However, the pattern of Myc expression in the process of neuronal cell death has not been addressed. To this end, we examined Myc induction by the neurotoxic agents camptothecin and amyloid-β peptide in a differentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal cell culture model. Myc expression was found to be significantly increased following either treatment and importantly, the induction of Myc preceded neuronal cell death suggesting it is an early event of neuronal cell death. Since ectopic expression of Myc in neurons causes the cell cycle activation and neurodegeneration in vivo, the current data suggest that induction of Myc by neurotoxic agents or other disease factors might be a key mediator in cell cycle activation and consequent cell death that is a feature of neurodegenerative diseases.

Tightly coupled repetitive blast-induced traumatic brain injury: development and characterization in mice

A mouse model of repeated blast exposure was developed using a compressed air-driven shock tube, to study the increase in severity of traumatic brain injury (bTBI) after multiple blast exposures. Isoflurane anesthetized C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 13.9, 20.6, and 25 psi single blast overpressure (BOP1) and allowed to recover for 5 days. BOP1 at 20.6 psi showed a mortality rate of 2% and this pressure was used for three repeated blast exposures (BOP3) with 1 and 30 min intervals. Overall mortality rate in BOP3 was increased to 20%. After blast exposure, righting reflex time and body-weight loss were significantly higher in BOP3 animals compared to BOP1 animals. At 4 h, brain edema was significantly increased in BOP3 animals compared to sham controls. Reactive oxygen species in the cortex were increased significantly in BOP1 and BOP3 animals. Neuropathological analysis of the cerebellum and cerebral cortex showed dense silver precipitates in BOP3 animals, indicating the presence of diffuse axonal injury. Fluoro-Jade B staining showed increased intensity in the cortex of BOP3 animals indicating neurodegeneration. Rota Rod behavioral test showed a significant decrease in performance at 10 rpm following BOP1 or BOP3 at 2 h post-blast, which gradually recovered during the 5 days. At 20 rpm, the latency to fall was significantly decreased in both BOP1 and BOP3 animals and it did not recover in the majority of the animals through 5 days of testing. These data suggest that repeated blast exposures lead to increased impairment severity in multiple neurological parameters of TBI in mice.

A mouse model of blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the main causes for casualties among civilians and military personnel in the present war against terror. Mild traumatic brain injury from IEDs induces various degrees of cognitive, emotional and behavioral disturbances but knowledge of the exact brain pathophysiology following exposure to blast is poorly understood. The study was aimed at establishing a murine model for a mild BI-TBI that isolates low-level blast pressure effects to the brain without systemic injuries. An open-field explosives detonation was used to replicate, as closely as possible, low-level blast trauma in the battlefield or at a terror-attack site. No alterations in basic neurological assessment or brain gross pathology were found acutely in the blast-exposed mice. At 7 days post blast, cognitive and behavioral tests revealed significantly decreased performance at both 4 and 7 m distance from the blast (5.5 and 2.5 PSI, respectively). At 30 days post-blast, clear differences were found in animals at both distances in the object recognition test, and in the 7 m group in the Y maze test. Using MRI, T1 weighted images showed an increased BBB permeability 1 month post-blast. DTI analysis showed an increase in fractional anisotropy (FA) and a decrease in radial diffusivity. These changes correlated with sites of up-regulation of manganese superoxide dismutase 2 in neurons and CXC-motif chemokine receptor 3 around blood vessels in fiber tracts. These results may represent brain axonal and myelin abnormalities. Cellular and biochemical studies are underway in order to further correlate the blast-induced cognitive and behavioral changes and to identify possible underlying mechanisms that may help develop treatment- and neuroprotective modalities.

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blast exposure has been the most common cause of TBI, occurring through multiple mechanisms. What is less clear is whether the primary blast wave causes brain damage through mechanisms that are distinct from those common in civilian TBI and whether multiple exposures to low-level blast can lead to long-term sequelae. Complicating TBI in soldiers is the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder. At present, the relationship is unclear. Resolution of these issues will affect both treatment strategies and strategies for the protection of troops in the field.

Mechanisms and pathophysiology of the low-level blast brain injury in animal models

The symptoms of primary blast-induced mTBI, posttraumatic stress disorder and depression overlap. Evidence of an organic basis for these entities has been scarce and controversial. We present a review of animal studies demonstrating that low-level blast causes pathophysiological and functional changes in the brain. We monitor a time period from minutes to approximately 1 week after blast exposure from multiple modes (air, underwater, localized and whole body). The most salient findings observed were (1) the peak pressures (P(max)) in the brain, elicited from the blast from the firing of military weapons (P(max) 23-45 kPa), have a similar magnitude as that registered in air close to the head. Corresponding measurements during the detonation pulse from explosives under water show a P(max) in the brain, which is only 10% of that in water outside the head. (2) The rise time of the pressure curve is 10 times longer in the brain as compared with the blast in air outside the head during firing of military weapons. (3) The lower frequencies in the blast wave appear to be transmitted more readily to the brain than the higher frequencies. (4) When animals are exposed to low levels of blast, the blast wave appears mostly transmitted directly to the brain during air exposure, not via the thorax or abdomen. (5) Low levels of blast cause brain edema, as indicated by increased bioelectrical impedance, an increase in the intracranial pressure, small brain hemorrhages and impaired cognitive function.

Traumatic brain injury: an overview of pathobiology with emphasis on military populations

This review considers the pathobiology of non-impact blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT). The pathobiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been historically studied in experimental models mimicking features seen in the civilian population. These brain injuries are characterized by primary damage to both gray and white matter and subsequent evolution of secondary pathogenic events at the cellular, biochemical, and molecular levels, which collectively mediate widespread neurodegeneration. An emerging field of research addresses brain injuries related to the military, in particular blast-induced brain injuries. What is clear from the effort to date is that the pathobiology of military TBIs, particularly BINT, has characteristics not seen in other types of brain injury, despite similar secondary injury cascades. The pathobiology of primary BINT is extremely complex. It comprises systemic, local, and cerebral responses interacting and often occurring in parallel. Activation of the autonomous nervous system, sudden pressure-increase in vital organs such as lungs and liver, and activation of neuroendocrine-immune system are among the most important mechanisms significantly contributing to molecular changes and cascading injury mechanisms in the brain.

Neuropathology and pressure in the pig brain resulting from low-impulse noise exposure

Military personnel are exposed to occupational levels of blast overpressure during training. This study characterizes the pressure-time histories of air, underwater, and localized blast, and correlates blast parameters with neuropathology. Blast overpressure was produced by a howitzer, a bazooka, an automatic rifle, underwater explosives, or a shock tube. Anesthetized pigs were exposed in positions that simulated real training scenarios. Underwater exposures were performed using explosives at distances recommended by safety requirements. In other experiments, rats were exposed via a shock tube. The pressure changes were recorded with a hydrophone sensor in the brain of the pig and in rats with an optical fiber sensor. Histological examination of porcine brains revealed small parenchymal and subarachnoid hemorrhages, predominately in the occipital lobe, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata. Relative to the peak pressure in air, that in porcine brain (Pmax brain/air) was 0.7 for the bazooka and 0.5 and 0.7, respectively, for the 9- and 30-kPa howitzer. The attenuation was stronger in water: the detonation pulse had a brain/water ratio of 0.1, and the secondary pulses had ratios of 0.3-0.4. The results indicate that low-frequency spectra penetrate easily from air or water into the brain, but high-frequency spectra appear to be filtered by body structures. In addition, blast waves were recorded in the brain and abdomen of pigs after local exposure via shock tube to either the abdomen or the top of the skull. When the abdomen was exposed, the maximal peak value in the brain was only 3% of that in the abdomen. Moreover, part of this pressure could have been derived from the air outside the head. The results gave little support to significant transmission of pressure within the body.

Measurement of blast wave by a miniature fiber optic pressure transducer in the rat brain

Exposure to blast wave that is generated during an explosion may result in brain damage and related neurological impairments. The aim of this study was to investigate pressure changes induced by exposure to blast inside the rat brain. For intracranial pressure measurement we used a miniature optic fiber sensor (o.d. 550 microm) with a computer recording system. The sensor was placed in the third cerebral ventricle of anesthetized rats exposed to 40 kPa blast wave in a pneumatic-pressure driven shock tube. Short pressure waves lasting several ms were detected inside the brain with the magnitude that might result in nervous tissue damage.

Chronic endotoxin exposure causes brain injury in the ovine fetus in the absence of hypoxemia

OBJECTIVE

Intrauterine infection has been linked to brain injury in human infants, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. We recently showed that repeated acute exposure of preterm fetal sheep to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) results in fetal hypoxemia, hypotension, increased systemic proinflammatory cytokines, and brain damage, including white matter injury. However, it is not clear whether this injury is caused by reduced cerebral oxygen delivery or inflammatory pathways independent of hypoxia. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects on the fetal brain and placenta of a chronic intrauterine inflammatory state, induced by LPS infusion into the fetal circulation, a model that did not cause hypoxia.

METHODS

At 0.65 of term, eight catheterized fetal sheep received intravenous infusions of LPS (5 to 15 mug) over 5 days; control fetuses received saline. Fetal physiologic responses were monitored throughout the infusion. Fetal brain and placental tissues were examined histologically 6 days after the conclusion of the infusion.

RESULTS

LPS infusions did not result in physiologically significant alterations to fetal blood gases or mean arterial pressure; however, plasma proinflammatory cytokine levels were elevated. Following LPS exposure there was no difference in fetal body or brain weights (P >.05); placental weight was reduced (P <.05), consistent with reduced placentome cross-sectional area (P <.05). In the cerebral hemispheres subcortical white matter injury was present in six LPS-exposed fetuses and included axonal damage, microgliosis, oligodendrocyte injury, and increased beta amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic, systemic exposure of the fetus to LPS resulted in fetal brain damage in the absence of hypoxemia or hypotension, although the resulting injury was less severe than following repeated acute exposure.

Impulse noise transiently increased the permeability of nerve and glial cell membranes, an effect accentuated by a recent brain injury

A single exposure to intense impulse noise may cause diffuse brain injury, revealed by increased expression of immediate early gene products, transiently altered distribution of neurofilaments, accumulation of beta-amyloid precursor protein, apoptosis, and gliosis. Neither hemorrage nor any gross structural damage are seen. The present study focused on whether impulse noise exposure increased the permeability of nerve and glial cell membranes to proteins. Also, we investigated whether a preceding, minor focal surgical brain lesion accentuated the leakage of cytosolic proteins. Anaesthetized rats were exposed to a single impulse noise at either 199 or 202 dB for 2 milliseconds. Transiently elevated levels of the cellular protein neuron specific enolase (NSE) and the glial cytoplasmic protein S-100 were recorded in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during the first hours after the exposure to 202 dB. A surgical brain injury, induced the day before the exposure to the impulse noise, was associated with significantly increased concentrations of both markers in the CSF. It is concluded that intense impulse noise damages both nerve and glial cells, an effect aggravated by a preexisting surgical lesion. The impulse of the shock wave, i.e. the pressure integrated over time, is likely to be the injurious mechanism. The abnormal membrane permeability and the associated cytoskeletal changes may initiate events, which eventually result in a progressive diffuse brain injury.

Blast-induced neurotrauma in whales

A majority of investigations on primary blast injuries have focused on gas-containing organs, while the likelihood of blast-induced neurotrauma remains underrated. In Norway minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) are hunted using small fishing boats rigged with harpoon guns, which fire harpoons tipped with a grenade containing a charge of 30-g penthrite. The grenade detonates 60-70 cm inside the animal. The present study was undertaken to characterize the neuropathological changes caused by the penthrite blast and evaluate its role in the loss of consciousness and death in hunted whales. The study included 37 minke whales that were examined shipboard. The brains were later subjected to gross and light microscopy examination. The results showed that intra-body detonation of the grenade in near vicinity of the brain resulted in trauma similar to severe traumatic brain injury associated with a direct blow to the head. Detonation in more distant areas of the body resulted in injuries resembling acceleration-induced diffuse traumatic brain injury. The authors conclude that even if several vital organs were fatally injured in most whales, the neurotrauma induced by the blast-generated pressure waves were the primary cause for the immediate or very rapid loss of consciousness and death.

Redistribution of neurofilaments and accumulation of beta-amyloid protein after brain injury by rotational acceleration of the head

Rotational acceleration of the head, as occurs in falls, car crashes, and sport injuries, may result in diffuse brain damage, with acute and chronic neurological and psychiatric symptoms. The present study addresses the effects of rotational trauma on the neuronal cytoskeleton, which stabilizes perikaryal, dendritic and axonal shape and function. The study focuses upon the distribution of (1) the phosphorylated form of the heavy neurofilament subunit, (2) the light neurofilament subunit, and (3) beta-amyloid, a marker for brain injury. While normally restricted to axons, the phosphorylated heavy neurofilament subunits were drastically decreased in the axons after rotational trauma. Instead, they accumulated in the neuronal perikarya, normally devoid of the phosphorylated subunit. This alteration was seen, not only in the cerebral cortex, but also in the hippocampus, the cervical spinal cord, the cerebellum, the cranial nerves and the pyramidal tract. The distribution of the light subunit of neurofilaments was also altered post trauma. Only a weak beta-amyloid immunoreactivity was detected in the brains of control animals. Promptly after the trauma, a large number of beta-amyloid positive neurons appeared. Intensely co-localized immunoreactivity for the light subunit of neurofilaments and of beta-amyloid was seen 3 days after the rotational trauma axons of in the subcortical white matter and in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus as well as in neurons of the hypoglossal nucleus. The reported alterations in the central nervous system neurons are similar to those in the human brain after closed head injury and in chronic degenerative diseases. Regions of importance for social behavior, memory and body movement were affected.