1
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Schlotterose L, Beldjilali-Labro M, Schneider G, Vardi O, Hattermann K, Even U, Shohami E, Haustein HD, Leichtmann-Bardoogo Y, Maoz BM. Traumatic Brain Injury in a Well: A Modular Three-Dimensional Printed Tool for Inducing Traumatic Brain Injury In vitro. Neurotrauma Rep 2023; 4:255-266. [PMID: 37095852 PMCID: PMC10122253 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2022.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health problem that affects millions of persons worldwide every year among all age groups, mainly young children, and elderly persons. It is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 16 and is highly correlated with a variety of neuronal disorders, such as epilepsy, and neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Over the past few decades, our comprehension of the molecular pathway of TBI has improved, yet despite being a major public health issue, there is currently no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for TBI, and a gap remains between these advances and their application to the clinical treatment of TBI. One of the major hurdles for pushing TBI research forward is the accessibility of TBI models and tools. Most of the TBI models require costume-made, complex, and expensive equipment, which often requires special knowledge to operate. In this study, we present a modular, three-dimensional printed TBI induction device, which induces, by the pulse of a pressure shock, a TBI-like injury on any standard cell-culture tool. Moreover, we demonstrate that our device can be used on multiple systems and cell types and can induce repetitive TBIs, which is very common in clinical TBI. Further, we demonstrate that our platform can recapitulate the hallmarks of TBI, which include cell death, decrease in neuronal functionality, axonal swelling (for neurons), and increase permeability (for endothelium). In addition, in view of the continued discussion on the need, benefits, and ethics of the use of animals in scientific research, this in vitro, high-throughput platform will make TBI research more accessible to other labs that prefer to avoid the use of animals yet are interested in this field. We believe that this will enable us to push the field forward and facilitate/accelerate the availability of novel treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise Schlotterose
- Institute of Anatomy, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Gaya Schneider
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofir Vardi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Uzi Even
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Esther Shohami
- Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Herman D. Haustein
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Ben M. Maoz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Address correspondence to: Ben M. Maoz, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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2
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Gomez Godinez V, Morar V, Carmona C, Gu Y, Sung K, Shi LZ, Wu C, Preece D, Berns MW. Laser-Induced Shockwave (LIS) to Study Neuronal Ca 2+ Responses. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:598896. [PMID: 33681154 PMCID: PMC7928400 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.598896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-induced shockwaves (LIS) can be utilized as a method to subject cells to conditions similar to those occurring during a blast-induced traumatic brain injury. The pairing of LIS with genetically encoded biosensors allows researchers to monitor the immediate molecular events resulting from such an injury. In this study, we utilized the genetically encoded Ca2+ FRET biosensor D3CPV to study the immediate Ca2+ response to laser-induced shockwave in cortical neurons and Schwann cells. Our results show that both cell types exhibit a transient Ca2+ increase irrespective of extracellular Ca2+ conditions. LIS allows for the simultaneous monitoring of the effects of shear stress on cells, as well as nearby cell damage and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Gomez Godinez
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Vikash Morar
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Christopher Carmona
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Yingli Gu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kijung Sung
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Linda Z Shi
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Daryl Preece
- Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Michael W Berns
- Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.,Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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3
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Explosive-driven double-blast exposure: molecular, histopathological, and behavioral consequences. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17446. [PMID: 33060648 PMCID: PMC7566442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74296-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury generated by blast may induce long-term neurological and psychiatric sequelae. We aimed to identify molecular, histopathological, and behavioral changes in rats 2 weeks after explosive-driven double-blast exposure. Rats received two 30-psi (~ 207-kPa) blasts 24 h apart or were handled identically without blast. All rats were behaviorally assessed over 2 weeks. At Day 15, rats were euthanized, and brains removed. Brains were dissected into frontal cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brainstem. Western blotting was performed to measure levels of total-Tau, phosphorylated-Tau (pTau), amyloid precursor protein (APP), GFAP, Iba1, αII-spectrin, and spectrin breakdown products (SBDP). Kinases and phosphatases, correlated with tau phosphorylation were also measured. Immunohistochemistry for pTau, APP, GFAP, and Iba1 was performed. pTau protein level was greater in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and brainstem and APP protein level was greater in cerebellum of blast vs control rats (p < 0.05). GFAP, Iba1, αII-spectrin, and SBDP remained unchanged. No immunohistochemical or neurobehavioral changes were observed. The dissociation between increased pTau and APP in different regions in the absence of neurobehavioral changes 2 weeks after double blast exposure is a relevant finding, consistent with human data showing that battlefield blasts might be associated with molecular changes before signs of neurological and psychiatric disorders manifest.
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4
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Blaze J, Choi I, Wang Z, Umali M, Mendelev N, Tschiffely AE, Ahlers ST, Elder GA, Ge Y, Haghighi F. Blast-Related Mild TBI Alters Anxiety-Like Behavior and Transcriptional Signatures in the Rat Amygdala. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:160. [PMID: 33192359 PMCID: PMC7604767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The short and long-term neurological and psychological consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and especially mild TBI (mTBI) are of immense interest to the Veteran community. mTBI is a common and detrimental result of combat exposure and results in various deleterious outcomes, including mood and anxiety disorders, cognitive deficits, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the current study, we aimed to further define the behavioral and molecular effects of blast-related mTBI using a well-established (3 × 75 kPa, one per day on three consecutive days) repeated blast overpressure (rBOP) model in rats. We exposed adult male rats to the rBOP procedure and conducted behavioral tests for anxiety and fear conditioning at 1-1.5 months (sub-acute) or 12-13 months (chronic) following blast exposure. We also used next-generation sequencing to measure transcriptome-wide gene expression in the amygdala of sham and blast-exposed animals at the sub-acute and chronic time points. Results showed that blast-exposed animals exhibited an anxiety-like phenotype at the sub-acute timepoint but this phenotype was diminished by the chronic time point. Conversely, gene expression analysis at both sub-acute and chronic timepoints demonstrated a large treatment by timepoint interaction such that the most differentially expressed genes were present in the blast-exposed animals at the chronic time point, which also corresponded to a Bdnf-centric gene network. Overall, the current study identified changes in the amygdalar transcriptome and anxiety-related phenotypic outcomes dependent on both blast exposure and aging, which may play a role in the long-term pathological consequences of mTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Blaze
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Inbae Choi
- Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Zhaoyu Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michelle Umali
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Natalia Mendelev
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anna E Tschiffely
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Stephen T Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Gregory A Elder
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Neurology Service, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Yongchao Ge
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Fatemeh Haghighi
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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5
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Park E, McCutcheon V, Telliyan T, Liu E, Eisen R, Kinio A, Tavakkoli J, Baker AJ. Remote ischemic conditioning improves outcome independent of anesthetic effects following shockwave-induced traumatic brain injury. IBRO Rep 2020; 8:18-27. [PMID: 31909289 PMCID: PMC6939039 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury due to primary blast exposure is a major cause of ongoing neurological and psychological impairment in soldiers and civilians. Animal and human evidence suggests that low-level blast exposure is capable of inducing white matter injury and behavioural deficits. There are currently no effective therapies to treat the underlying suspected pathophysiology of low-level primary blast or concussion. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has been shown to have cardiac, renal and neuro-protective effects in response to brief cycles of ischemia. Here we examined the effects of RIC in two models of blast injury. We used a model of low-level primary blast in rats to evaluate the effects of RIC neurofilament expression. We subsequently used a model of traumatic brain injury in adult zebrafish using pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) to evaluate the effects of RIC on behavioural outcome and apoptosis in a post-traumatic setting. In blast exposed rats, RIC pretreatment modulated NF200 expression suggesting an innate biological buffering effect. In zebrafish, behavioural deficits and apoptosis due to pHIFU-induced brain injury were reduced following administration of serum derived from RIC rats. The results in the zebrafish model demonstrate the humoral effects of RIC independent of anesthetic effects that were observed in the rat model of injury. Our results indicate that RIC is effective in improving outcome following modeled brain trauma in pre- and post-injury paradigms. The results suggest a potential role for innate biological systems in the protection against pathophysiological processes associated with impairment following shockwave induced trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Park
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada
| | - Victoria McCutcheon
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Tamar Telliyan
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada
| | - Elaine Liu
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada
| | - Rebecca Eisen
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada
| | - Anna Kinio
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada
| | - Jahan Tavakkoli
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada.,Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Canada
| | - Andrew J Baker
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada.,Departments of Anesthesia & Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada
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6
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Song H, Cui J, Simonyi A, Johnson CE, Hubler GK, DePalma RG, Gu Z. Linking blast physics to biological outcomes in mild traumatic brain injury: Narrative review and preliminary report of an open-field blast model. Behav Brain Res 2018; 340:147-158. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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7
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Rodriguez UA, Zeng Y, Deyo D, Parsley MA, Hawkins BE, Prough DS, DeWitt DS. Effects of Mild Blast Traumatic Brain Injury on Cerebral Vascular, Histopathological, and Behavioral Outcomes in Rats. J Neurotrauma 2018; 35:375-392. [PMID: 29160141 PMCID: PMC5784797 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2017.5256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
To determine the effects of mild blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI), several groups of rats were subjected to blast injury or sham injury in a compressed air-driven shock tube. The effects of bTBI on relative cerebral perfusion (laser Doppler flowmetry [LDF]), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) cerebral vascular resistance were measured for 2 h post-bTBI. Dilator responses to reduced intravascular pressure were measured in isolated middle cerebral arterial (MCA) segments, ex vivo, 30 and 60 min post-bTBI. Neuronal injury was assessed (Fluoro-Jade C [FJC]) 24 and 48 h post-bTBI. Neurological outcomes (beam balance and walking tests) and working memory (Morris water maze [MWM]) were assessed 2 weeks post-bTBI. Because impact TBI (i.e., non-blast TBI) is often associated with reduced cerebral perfusion and impaired cerebrovascular function in part because of the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species such as peroxynitrite (ONOO-), the effects of the administration of the ONOO- scavenger, penicillamine methyl ester (PenME), on cerebral perfusion and cerebral vascular resistance were measured for 2 h post-bTBI. Mild bTBI resulted in reduced relative cerebral perfusion and MCA dilator responses to reduced intravascular pressure, increases in cerebral vascular resistance and in the numbers of FJC-positive cells in the brain, and significantly impaired working memory. PenME administration resulted in significant reductions in cerebral vascular resistance and a trend toward increased cerebral perfusion, suggesting that ONOO- may contribute to blast-induced cerebral vascular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uylissa A. Rodriguez
- Cell Biology Graduate Program, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Yaping Zeng
- The Moody Project for Translational Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Charles R. Allen Research Laboratories, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Donald Deyo
- The Moody Project for Translational Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Charles R. Allen Research Laboratories, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Margaret A. Parsley
- The Moody Project for Translational Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Charles R. Allen Research Laboratories, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Bridget E. Hawkins
- Cell Biology Graduate Program, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Donald S. Prough
- The Moody Project for Translational Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Charles R. Allen Research Laboratories, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Douglas S. DeWitt
- Cell Biology Graduate Program, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
- The Moody Project for Translational Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Charles R. Allen Research Laboratories, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
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8
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Cernak I. Understanding blast-induced neurotrauma: how far have we come? Concussion 2017; 2:CNC42. [PMID: 30202583 PMCID: PMC6093818 DOI: 10.2217/cnc-2017-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Blast injuries, including blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT), are caused by blast waves generated during an explosion. Accordingly, their history coincides with that of explosives. Hence, it is intriguing that, after more than 1000 years of using explosives, our understanding of the pathological consequences of blast and body/brain interactions is extremely limited. Postconflict recovery mechanisms seemingly include the suppression of painful experiences, such as explosive injuries. Unfortunately, ignoring the knowledge generated by previous generations of scientists retards research progress, leading to superfluous and repetitive studies. This article summarizes clinical and experimental findings published about blast injuries and BINT following the wars of the 20th and 21th centuries. Moreover, it offers a personal view on potential factors interfering with the progress of BINT research working toward providing better diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for military personnel affected by blast exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibolja Cernak
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Corbett Hall 3–48, Edmonton Alberta, T6G 2G4, Canada
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9
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Lucke-Wold BP, Turner RC, Logsdon AF, Rosen CL, Qaiser R. Blast Scaling Parameters: Transitioning from Lung to Skull Base Metrics. JOURNAL OF SURGERY AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2017; 1. [PMID: 28386605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrauma from blast exposure is one of the single most characteristic injuries of modern warfare. Understanding blast traumatic brain injury is critical for developing new treatment options for warfighters and civilians exposed to improvised explosive devices. Unfortunately, the pre-clinical models that are widely utilized to investigate blast exposure are based on archaic lung based parameters developed in the early 20th century. Improvised explosive devices produce a different type of injury paradigm than the typical mortar explosion. Protective equipment for the chest cavity has also improved over the past 100 years. In order to improve treatments, it is imperative to develop models that are based more on skull-based parameters. In this mini-review, we discuss the important anatomical and biochemical features necessary to develop a skull-based model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan C Turner
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | | | - Charles L Rosen
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Rabia Qaiser
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
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10
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A Novel Approach for Studying the Physiology and Pathophysiology of Myelinated and Non-Myelinated Axons in the CNS White Matter. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165637. [PMID: 27829055 PMCID: PMC5102346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in brain connectomics set the need for detailed knowledge of functional properties of myelinated and non-myelinated (if present) axons in specific white matter pathways. The corpus callosum (CC), a major white matter structure interconnecting brain hemispheres, is extensively used for studying CNS axonal function. Unlike another widely used CNS white matter preparation, the optic nerve where all axons are myelinated, the CC contains also a large population of non-myelinated axons, making it particularly useful for studying both types of axons. Electrophysiological studies of optic nerve use suction electrodes on nerve ends to stimulate and record compound action potentials (CAPs) that adequately represent its axonal population, whereas CC studies use microelectrodes (MEs), recording from a limited area within the CC. Here we introduce a novel robust isolated "whole" CC preparation comparable to optic nerve. Unlike ME recordings where the CC CAP peaks representing myelinated and non-myelinated axons vary broadly in size, "whole" CC CAPs show stable reproducible ratios of these two main peaks, and also reveal a third peak, suggesting a distinct group of smaller caliber non-myelinated axons. We provide detailed characterization of "whole" CC CAPs and conduction velocities of myelinated and non-myelinated axons along the rostro-caudal axis of CC body and show advantages of this preparation for comparing axonal function in wild type and dysmyelinated shiverer mice, studying the effects of temperature dependence, bath-applied drugs and ischemia modeled by oxygen-glucose deprivation. Due to the isolation from gray matter, our approach allows for studying CC axonal function without possible "contamination" by reverberating signals from gray matter. Our analysis of "whole" CC CAPs revealed higher complexity of myelinated and non-myelinated axonal populations, not noticed earlier. This preparation may have a broad range of applications as a robust model for studying myelinated and non-myelinated axons of the CNS in various experimental models.
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11
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Vogel EW, Rwema SH, Meaney DF, Bass CRD, Morrison B. Primary Blast Injury Depressed Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation through Disruption of Synaptic Proteins. J Neurotrauma 2016; 34:1063-1073. [PMID: 27573357 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2016.4578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a major threat to United States service members in military conflicts worldwide. The effects of primary blast, caused by the supersonic shockwave interacting with the skull and brain, remain unclear. Our group has previously reported that in vitro primary blast exposure can reduce long-term potentiation (LTP), the electrophysiological correlate of learning and memory, in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs) without significant changes to cell viability or basal, evoked neuronal function. We investigated the time course of primary blast-induced deficits in LTP and the molecular mechanisms that could underlie these deficits. We found that pure primary blast exposure induced LTP deficits in a delayed manner, requiring longer than 1 hour to develop, and that these deficits spontaneously recovered by 10 days following exposure depending on blast intensity. Additionally, we observed that primary blast exposure reduced total α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) subunit expression and phosphorylation of the GluR1 subunit at the serine-831 site. Blast also reduced the expression of postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) and phosphorylation of stargazin protein at the serine-239/240 site. Finally, we found that modulation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway ameliorated electrophysiological and protein-expression changes caused by blast. These findings could inform the development of novel therapies to treat blast-induced loss of neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W Vogel
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Steve H Rwema
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - David F Meaney
- 2 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Cameron R Dale Bass
- 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina
| | - Barclay Morrison
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
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12
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Wang H, Zhang YP, Cai J, Shields LBE, Tuchek CA, Shi R, Li J, Shields CB, Xu XM. A Compact Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury Model in Mice. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2016; 75:183-96. [PMID: 26802177 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlv019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a common injury on the battlefield and often results in permanent cognitive and neurological abnormalities. We report a novel compact device that creates graded bTBI in mice. The injury severity can be controlled by precise pressures that mimic Friedlander shockwave curves. The mouse head was stabilized with a head fixator, and the body was protected with a metal shield; shockwave durations were 3 to 4 milliseconds. Reflective shockwave peak readings at the position of the mouse head were 12 6 2.6 psi, 50 6 20.3 psi, and 100 6 33.1 psi at 100, 200, and 250 psi predetermined driver chamber pressures, respectively. The bTBIs of 250 psi caused 80% mortality, which decreased to 27% with the metal shield. Brain and lung damage depended on the shockwave duration and amplitude. Cognitive deficits were assessed using the Morris water maze, Y-maze, and open-field tests. Pathological changes in the brain included disruption of the blood-brain barrier, multifocal neuronal and axonal degeneration, and reactive gliosis assessed by Evans Blue dye extravasation, silver and Fluoro-Jade B staining, and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunohistochemistry, respectively. Behavioral and pathological changes were injury severity-dependent. This mouse bTBI model may be useful for investigating injury mechanisms and therapeutic strategies associated with bTBI.
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13
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Sawyer TW, Wang Y, Ritzel DV, Josey T, Villanueva M, Shei Y, Nelson P, Hennes G, Weiss T, Vair C, Fan C, Barnes J. High-Fidelity Simulation of Primary Blast: Direct Effects on the Head. J Neurotrauma 2016; 33:1181-93. [PMID: 26582146 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2015.3914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of primary blast in blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is controversial in part due to the technical difficulties of generating free-field blast conditions in the laboratory. The use of traditional shock tubes often results in artifacts, particularly of dynamic pressure, whereas the forces affecting the head are dependent on where the animal is placed relative to the tube, whether the exposure is whole-body or head-only, and on how the head is actually exposed to the insult (restrained or not). An advanced blast simulator (ABS) has been developed that enables high-fidelity simulation of free-field blastwaves, including sharply defined static and dynamic overpressure rise times, underpressures, and secondary shockwaves. Rats were exposed in head-only fashion to single-pulse blastwaves of 15 to 30 psi static overpressure. Head restraints were configured so as to eliminate concussive and minimize whiplash forces exerted on the head, as shown by kinematic analysis. No overt signs of trauma were present in the animals post-exposure. However, significant changes in brain 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNPase) and neurofilament heavy chain levels were evident by 7 days. In contrast to most studies of primary blast-induced TBI (PbTBI), no elevation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels was noted when head movement was minimized. The ABS described in this article enables the generation of shockwaves highly representative of free-field blast. The use of this technology, in concert with head-only exposure, minimized head movement, and the kinematic analysis of the forces exerted on the head provide convincing evidence that primary blast directly causes changes in brain function and that GFAP may not be an appropriate biomarker of PbTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Sawyer
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yushan Wang
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Tyson Josey
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mercy Villanueva
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yimin Shei
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peggy Nelson
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Grant Hennes
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tracy Weiss
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cory Vair
- 1 Defence Research & Development Canada , Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
| | - Changyang Fan
- 3 Canada West Biosciences , Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Julia Barnes
- 3 Canada West Biosciences , Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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14
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Guley NH, Rogers JT, Del Mar NA, Deng Y, Islam RM, D'Surney L, Ferrell J, Deng B, Hines-Beard J, Bu W, Ren H, Elberger AJ, Marchetta JG, Rex TS, Honig MG, Reiner A. A Novel Closed-Head Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using Focal Primary Overpressure Blast to the Cranium in Mice. J Neurotrauma 2016; 33:403-22. [PMID: 26414413 PMCID: PMC4761824 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2015.3886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) from focal head impact is the most common form of TBI in humans. Animal models, however, typically use direct impact to the exposed dura or skull, or blast to the entire head. We present a detailed characterization of a novel overpressure blast system to create focal closed-head mild TBI in mice. A high-pressure air pulse limited to a 7.5 mm diameter area on the left side of the head overlying the forebrain is delivered to anesthetized mice. The mouse eyes and ears are shielded, and its head and body are cushioned to minimize movement. This approach creates mild TBI by a pressure wave that acts on the brain, with minimal accompanying head acceleration-deceleration. A single 20-psi blast yields no functional deficits or brain injury, while a single 25-40 psi blast yields only slight motor deficits and brain damage. By contrast, a single 50-60 psi blast produces significant visual, motor, and neuropsychiatric impairments and axonal damage and microglial activation in major fiber tracts, but no contusive brain injury. This model thus reproduces the widespread axonal injury and functional impairments characteristic of closed-head mild TBI, without the complications of systemic or ocular blast effects or head acceleration that typically occur in other blast or impact models of closed-skull mild TBI. Accordingly, our model provides a simple way to examine the biomechanics, pathophysiology, and functional deficits that result from TBI and can serve as a reliable platform for testing therapies that reduce brain pathology and deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie H. Guley
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Joshua T. Rogers
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Nobel A. Del Mar
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Yunping Deng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Rafiqul M. Islam
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Lauren D'Surney
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jessica Ferrell
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Bowei Deng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jessica Hines-Beard
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Wei Bu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Huiling Ren
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Andrea J. Elberger
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Tonia S. Rex
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Marcia G. Honig
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Anton Reiner
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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15
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Kallakuri S, Purkait HS, Dalavayi S, VandeVord P, Cavanaugh JM. Blast overpressure induced axonal injury changes in rat brainstem and spinal cord. J Neurosci Rural Pract 2016; 6:481-7. [PMID: 26752889 PMCID: PMC4692002 DOI: 10.4103/0976-3147.169767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Blast induced neurotrauma has been the signature wound in returning soldiers from the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of importance is understanding the pathomechansim(s) of blast overpressure (OP) induced axonal injury. Although several recent animal models of blast injury indicate the neuronal and axonal injury in various brain regions, animal studies related to axonal injury in the white matter (WM) tracts of cervical spinal cord are limited. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the extent of axonal injury in WM tracts of cervical spinal cord in male Sprague Dawley rats subjected to a single insult of blast OP. Materials and Methods: Sagittal brainstem sections and horizontal cervical spinal cord sections from blast and sham animals were stained by neurofilament light (NF-L) chain and beta amyloid precursor protein immunocytochemistry and observed for axonal injury changes. Results: Observations from this preliminary study demonstrate axonal injury changes in the form of prominent swellings, retraction bulbs, and putative signs of membrane disruptions in the brainstem and cervical spinal cord WM tracts of rats subjected to blast OP. Conclusions: Prominent axonal injury changes following the blast OP exposure in brainstem and cervical spinal WM tracts underscores the need for careful evaluation of blast induced injury changes and associated symptoms. NF-L immunocytochemistry can be considered as an additional tool to assess the blast OP induced axonal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasu Kallakuri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Heena S Purkait
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Satya Dalavayi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Pamela VandeVord
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - John M Cavanaugh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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16
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Bailey ZS, Hubbard WB, VandeVord PJ. Cellular Mechanisms and Behavioral Outcomes in Blast-Induced Neurotrauma: Comparing Experimental Setups. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1462:119-138. [PMID: 27604716 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3816-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT) has increased in incidence over the past decades and can result in cognitive issues that have debilitating consequences. The exact primary and secondary mechanisms of injury have not been elucidated and appearance of cellular injury can vary based on many factors, such as blast overpressure magnitude and duration. Many methodologies to study blast neurotrauma have been employed, ranging from open-field explosives to experimental shock tubes for producing free-field blast waves. While there are benefits to the various methods, certain specifications need to be accounted for in order to properly examine BINT. Primary cell injury mechanisms, occurring as a direct result of the blast wave, have been identified in several studies and include cerebral vascular damage, blood-brain barrier disruption, axonal injury, and cytoskeletal damage. Secondary cell injury mechanisms, triggered subsequent to the initial insult, result in the activation of several molecular cascades and can include, but are not limited to, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The collective result of these secondary injuries can lead to functional deficits. Behavioral measures examining motor function, anxiety traits, and cognition/memory problems have been utilized to determine the level of injury severity. While cellular injury mechanisms have been identified following blast exposure, the various experimental models present both concurrent and conflicting results. Furthermore, the temporal response and progression of pathology after blast exposure have yet to be detailed and remain unclear due to limited resemblance of methodologies. This chapter summarizes the current state of blast neuropathology and emphasizes the need for a standardized preclinical model of blast neurotrauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary S Bailey
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, 447 Kelly Hall, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - W Brad Hubbard
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, 447 Kelly Hall, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Pamela J VandeVord
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, 447 Kelly Hall, 325 Stanger Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
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17
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Vogel EW, Effgen GB, Patel TP, Meaney DF, Bass CRD, Morrison B. Isolated Primary Blast Inhibits Long-Term Potentiation in Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures. J Neurotrauma 2015; 33:652-61. [PMID: 26414012 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2015.4045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last 13 years, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has affected over 230,000 U.S. service members through the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, mostly as a result of exposure to blast events. Blast-induced TBI (bTBI) is multi-phasic, with the penetrating and inertia-driven phases having been extensively studied. The effects of primary blast injury, caused by the shockwave interacting with the brain, remain unclear. Earlier in vivo studies in mice and rats have reported mixed results for primary blast effects on behavior and memory. Using a previously developed shock tube and in vitro sample receiver, we investigated the effect of isolated primary blast on the electrophysiological function of rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC). We found that pure primary blast exposure inhibited long-term potentiation (LTP), the electrophysiological correlate of memory, with a threshold between 9 and 39 kPa·ms impulse. This deficit occurred well below a previously identified threshold for cell death (184 kPa·ms), supporting our previously published finding that primary blast can cause changes in brain function in the absence of cell death. Other functional measures such as spontaneous activity, network synchronization, stimulus-response curves, and paired-pulse ratios (PPRs) were less affected by primary blast exposure, as compared with LTP. This is the first study to identify a tissue-level tolerance threshold for electrophysiological changes in neuronal function to isolated primary blast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W Vogel
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Gwen B Effgen
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
| | - Tapan P Patel
- 2 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David F Meaney
- 2 Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Cameron R Dale Bass
- 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina
| | - Barclay Morrison
- 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University , New York, New York
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18
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Smith DH, Hicks RR, Johnson VE, Bergstrom DA, Cummings DM, Noble LJ, Hovda D, Whalen M, Ahlers ST, LaPlaca M, Tortella FC, Duhaime AC, Dixon CE. Pre-Clinical Traumatic Brain Injury Common Data Elements: Toward a Common Language Across Laboratories. J Neurotrauma 2015; 32:1725-35. [PMID: 26058402 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2014.3861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas H Smith
- 1 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ramona R Hicks
- 2 One Mind, Seattle, Washington.,3 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Victoria E Johnson
- 1 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Debra A Bergstrom
- 3 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Diana M Cummings
- 3 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Linda J Noble
- 4 Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California , San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - David Hovda
- 5 Department of Neurosurgery, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael Whalen
- 6 Department of Pediatrics, Neuroscience Center at Massachusetts General Hospital , Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen T Ahlers
- 7 Operational & Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center , Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Michelle LaPlaca
- 8 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Frank C Tortella
- 9 Walter Reed Army Institute of Research , Silver Spring, Maryland
| | | | - C Edward Dixon
- 11 Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsyvania
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19
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Haghighi F, Ge Y, Chen S, Xin Y, Umali MU, De Gasperi R, Gama Sosa MA, Ahlers ST, Elder GA. Neuronal DNA Methylation Profiling of Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2015; 32:1200-9. [PMID: 25594545 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2014.3640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term molecular changes in the brain resulting from blast exposure may be mediated by epigenetic changes, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation, that regulate gene expression. Aberrant regulation of gene expression is associated with behavioral abnormalities, where DNA methylation bridges environmental signals to sustained changes in gene expression. We assessed DNA methylation changes in the brains of rats exposed to three 74.5 kPa blast overpressure events, conditions that have been associated with long-term anxiogenic manifestations weeks or months following the initial exposures. Rat frontal cortex eight months post-exposure was used for cell sorting of whole brain tissue into neurons and glia. We interrogated DNA methylation profiles in these cells using Expanded Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing. We obtained data for millions of cytosines, showing distinct methylation profiles for neurons and glia and an increase in global methylation in neuronal versus glial cells (p<10(-7)). We detected DNA methylation perturbations in blast overpressure-exposed animals, compared with sham blast controls, within 458 and 379 genes in neurons and glia, respectively. Differentially methylated neuronal genes showed enrichment in cell death and survival and nervous system development and function, including genes involved in transforming growth factor β and nitric oxide signaling. Functional validation via gene expression analysis of 30 differentially methylated neuronal and glial genes showed a 1.2 fold change in gene expression of the serotonin N-acetyltransferase gene (Aanat) in blast animals (p<0.05). These data provide the first genome-based evidence for changes in DNA methylation induced in response to multiple blast overpressure exposures. In particular, increased methylation and decreased gene expression were observed in the Aanat gene, which is involved in converting serotonin to the circadian hormone melatonin and is implicated in sleep disturbance and depression associated with traumatic brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Haghighi
- 1 Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Bronx, New York
- 2 Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 3 Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
| | - Yongchao Ge
- 4 Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
| | - Sean Chen
- 2 Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
| | - Yurong Xin
- 2 Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
| | - Michelle U Umali
- 2 Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
| | - Rita De Gasperi
- 3 Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 6 Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Bronx, New York
| | - Miguel A Gama Sosa
- 3 Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 6 Research and Development Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Bronx, New York
| | - Stephen T Ahlers
- 7 Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate Naval Medical Research Center , Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Gregory A Elder
- 3 Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 4 Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York, New York
- 8 Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Bronx, New York
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20
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Needham CE, Ritzel D, Rule GT, Wiri S, Young L. Blast Testing Issues and TBI: Experimental Models That Lead to Wrong Conclusions. Front Neurol 2015; 6:72. [PMID: 25904891 PMCID: PMC4389725 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past several years, we have noticed an increase in the number of blast injury studies published in peer-reviewed biomedical journals that have utilized improperly conceived experiments. Data from these studies will lead to false conclusions and more confusion than advancement in the understanding of blast injury, particularly blast neurotrauma. Computational methods to properly characterize the blast environment have been available for decades. These methods, combined with a basic understanding of blast wave phenomena, enable researchers to extract useful information from well-documented experiments. This basic understanding must include the differences and interrelationships of static pressure, dynamic pressure, reflected pressure, and total or stagnation pressure in transient shockwave flows, how they relate to loading of objects, and how they are properly measured. However, it is critical that the research community effectively overcomes the confusion that has been compounded by a misunderstanding of the differences between the loading produced by a free field explosive blast and loading produced by a conventional shock tube. The principles of blast scaling have been well established for decades and when properly applied will do much to repair these problems. This paper provides guidance regarding proper experimental methods and offers insights into the implications of improperly designed and executed tests. Through application of computational methods, useful data can be extracted from well-documented historical tests, and future work can be conducted in a way to maximize the effectiveness and use of valuable biological test data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Needham
- Southwest Division, Applied Research Associates, Inc. , Albuquerque, NM , USA
| | - David Ritzel
- Dyn-FX Consulting Ltd. , Amherstburg, ON , Canada
| | - Gregory T Rule
- Security Engineering and Applied Sciences Sector, Applied Research Associates, Inc. , San Antonio, TX , USA
| | - Suthee Wiri
- Southwest Division, Applied Research Associates, Inc. , Albuquerque, NM , USA
| | - Leanne Young
- Security Engineering and Applied Sciences Sector, Applied Research Associates, Inc. , Dallas, TX , USA
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21
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Johnson VE, Meaney DF, Cullen DK, Smith DH. Animal models of traumatic brain injury. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2015; 127:115-28. [PMID: 25702213 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-52892-6.00008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E Johnson
- Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair and Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David F Meaney
- Departments of Bioengineering and Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - D Kacy Cullen
- Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair and Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Douglas H Smith
- Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair and Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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22
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Turner RC, Lucke-Wold BP, Logsdon AF, Robson MJ, Dashnaw ML, Huang JH, Smith KE, Huber JD, Rosen CL, Petraglia AL. The Quest to Model Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Multiple Model and Injury Paradigm Experience. Front Neurol 2015; 6:222. [PMID: 26539159 PMCID: PMC4611965 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic neurodegeneration following a history of neurotrauma is frequently associated with neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms. In order to enhance understanding about the underlying pathophysiology linking neurotrauma to neurodegeneration, a multi-model preclinical approach must be established to account for the different injury paradigms and pathophysiologic mechanisms. We investigated the development of tau pathology and behavioral changes using a multi-model and multi-institutional approach, comparing the preclinical results to tauopathy patterns seen in post-mortem human samples from athletes diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). We utilized a scaled and validated blast-induced traumatic brain injury model in rats and a modified pneumatic closed-head impact model in mice. Tau hyperphosphorylation was evaluated by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Elevated-plus maze and Morris water maze were employed to measure impulsive-like behavior and cognitive deficits respectively. Animals exposed to single blast (~50 PSI reflected peak overpressure) exhibited elevated AT8 immunoreactivity in the contralateral hippocampus at 1 month compared to controls (q = 3.96, p < 0.05). Animals exposed to repeat blast (six blasts over 2 weeks) had increased AT8 (q = 8.12, p < 0.001) and AT270 (q = 4.03, p < 0.05) in the contralateral hippocampus at 1 month post-injury compared to controls. In the modified controlled closed-head impact mouse model, no significant difference in AT8 was seen at 7 days, however a significant elevation was detected at 1 month following injury in the ipsilateral hippocampus compared to control (q = 4.34, p < 0.05). Elevated-plus maze data revealed that rats exposed to single blast (q = 3.53, p < 0.05) and repeat blast (q = 4.21, p < 0.05) spent more time in seconds exploring the open arms compared to controls. Morris water maze testing revealed a significant difference between groups in acquisition times on days 22-27. During the probe trial, single blast (t = 6.44, p < 0.05) and repeat blast (t = 8.00, p < 0.05) rats spent less time in seconds exploring where the platform had been located compared to controls. This study provides a multi-model example of replicating tau and behavioral changes in animals and provides a foundation for future investigation of CTE disease pathophysiology and therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C. Turner
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Brandon P. Lucke-Wold
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Aric F. Logsdon
- Center for Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Matthew J. Robson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Matthew L. Dashnaw
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jason H. Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott and White Health System, Temple, TX, USA
| | - Kelly E. Smith
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Jason D. Huber
- Center for Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Charles L. Rosen
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Anthony L. Petraglia
- Division of Neurosurgery, Rochester Regional Health, Rochester, NY, USA
- *Correspondence: Anthony L. Petraglia,
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23
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Elder GA, Stone JR, Ahlers ST. Effects of low-level blast exposure on the nervous system: is there really a controversy? Front Neurol 2014; 5:269. [PMID: 25566175 PMCID: PMC4271615 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
High-pressure blast waves can cause extensive CNS injury in human beings. However, in combat settings, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, lower level exposures associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or subclinical exposure have been much more common. Yet controversy exists concerning what traits can be attributed to low-level blast, in large part due to the difficulty of distinguishing blast-related mTBI from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We describe how TBI is defined in human beings and the problems posed in using current definitions to recognize blast-related mTBI. We next consider the problem of applying definitions of human mTBI to animal models, in particular that TBI severity in human beings is defined in relation to alteration of consciousness at the time of injury, which typically cannot be assessed in animals. However, based on outcome assessments, a condition of "low-level" blast exposure can be defined in animals that likely approximates human mTBI or subclinical exposure. We review blast injury modeling in animals noting that inconsistencies in experimental approach have contributed to uncertainty over the effects of low-level blast. Yet, animal studies show that low-level blast pressure waves are transmitted to the brain. In brain, low-level blast exposures cause behavioral, biochemical, pathological, and physiological effects on the nervous system including the induction of PTSD-related behavioral traits in the absence of a psychological stressor. We review the relationship of blast exposure to chronic neurodegenerative diseases noting the paradoxical lowering of Abeta by blast, which along with other observations suggest that blast-related TBI is pathophysiologically distinct from non-blast TBI. Human neuroimaging studies show that blast-related mTBI is associated with a variety of chronic effects that are unlikely to be explained by co-morbid PTSD. We conclude that abundant evidence supports low-level blast as having long-term effects on the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A. Elder
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James R. Stone
- Department of Radiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Stephen T. Ahlers
- Department of Neurotrauma, Operational and Undersea Medicine Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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Bhat DI, Shukla D, Mahadevan A, Sharath N, Reddy K. Validation of a blast induced neurotrauma model using modified Reddy tube in rats: A pilot study. INDIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnt.2014.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Petraglia AL, Dashnaw ML, Turner RC, Bailes JE. Models of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Neurosurgery 2014; 75 Suppl 4:S34-49. [DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000000472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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26
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Effgen GB, Vogel EW, Lynch KA, Lobel A, Hue CD, Meaney DF, Bass CR“D, Morrison B. Isolated Primary Blast Alters Neuronal Function with Minimal Cell Death in Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures. J Neurotrauma 2014; 31:1202-10. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2013.3227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gwen B. Effgen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Edward W. Vogel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Kimberly A. Lynch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Ayelet Lobel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Christopher D. Hue
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - David F. Meaney
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Barclay Morrison
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
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27
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Connecting combat-related mild traumatic brain injury with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms through brain imaging. Neurosci Lett 2014; 577:11-5. [PMID: 24907686 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may share common symptom and neuropsychological profiles in military service members (SMs) following deployment; while a connection between the two conditions is plausible, the relationship between them has been difficult to discern. The intent of this report is to enhance our understanding of the relationship between findings on structural and functional brain imaging and symptoms of PTSD. Within a cohort of SMs who did not meet criteria for PTSD but were willing to complete a comprehensive assessment within 2 months of their return from combat deployment, we conducted a nested case-control analysis comparing those with combat-related mTBI to age/gender-matched controls with diffusion tensor imaging, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a range of psychological measures. We report degraded white matter integrity in those with a history of combat mTBI, and a positive correlation between the white matter microstructure and default mode network (DMN) connectivity. Higher clinician-administered and self-reported subthreshold PTSD symptoms were reported in those with combat mTBI. Our findings offer a potential mechanism through which mTBI may alter brain function, and in turn, contribute to PTSD symptoms.
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Kovacs SK, Leonessa F, Ling GSF. Blast TBI Models, Neuropathology, and Implications for Seizure Risk. Front Neurol 2014; 5:47. [PMID: 24782820 PMCID: PMC3988378 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to explosive blast exposure is a leading combat casualty. It is also implicated as a key contributor to war related mental health diseases. A clinically important consequence of all types of TBI is a high risk for development of seizures and epilepsy. Seizures have been reported in patients who have suffered blast injuries in the Global War on Terror but the exact prevalence is unknown. The occurrence of seizures supports the contention that explosive blast leads to both cellular and structural brain pathology. Unfortunately, the exact mechanism by which explosions cause brain injury is unclear, which complicates development of meaningful therapies and mitigation strategies. To help improve understanding, detailed neuropathological analysis is needed. For this, histopathological techniques are extremely valuable and indispensable. In the following we will review the pathological results, including those from immunohistochemical and special staining approaches, from recent preclinical explosive blast studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Krisztian Kovacs
- Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Fabio Leonessa
- Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Geoffrey S F Ling
- Laboratory of Neurotrauma, Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
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Calabrese E, Du F, Garman RH, Johnson GA, Riccio C, Tong LC, Long JB. Diffusion tensor imaging reveals white matter injury in a rat model of repetitive blast-induced traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2014; 31:938-50. [PMID: 24392843 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2013.3144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is one of the most common combat-related injuries seen in U.S. military personnel, yet relatively little is known about the underlying mechanisms of injury. In particular, the effects of the primary blast pressure wave are poorly understood. Animal models have proven invaluable for the study of primary bTBI, because it rarely occurs in isolation in human subjects. Even less is known about the effects of repeated primary blast wave exposure, but existing data suggest cumulative increases in brain damage with a second blast. MRI and, in particular, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have become important tools for assessing bTBI in both clinical and preclinical settings. Computational statistical methods such as voxelwise analysis have shown promise in localizing and quantifying bTBI throughout the brain. In this study, we use voxelwise analysis of DTI to quantify white matter injury in a rat model of repetitive primary blast exposure. Our results show a significant increase in microstructural damage with a second blast exposure, suggesting that primary bTBI may sensitize the brain to subsequent injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Calabrese
- 1 Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina
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Valiyaveettil M, Alamneh YA, Wang Y, Arun P, Oguntayo S, Wei Y, Long JB, Nambiar MP. Cytoskeletal protein α-II spectrin degradation in the brain of repeated blast exposed mice. Brain Res 2014; 1549:32-41. [PMID: 24412202 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Repeated blast exposures commonly induce traumatic brain injury (TBI) characterized by diffuse axonal injury (DAI). We hypothesized that degradation of cytoskeletal proteins in the brain can lead to DAI, and evaluated α-II spectrin degradation in the pathophysiology of blast-induced TBI using the tightly-coupled three repetitive blast exposure mice model with a 1-30 min window in between exposures. Degradation of α-II spectrin and the expression profiles of caspase-3 and calpain-2, the major enzymes involved in the degradation were analyzed in the frontal cortex and cerebellum using Western blotting with specific antibodies. DAI at different brain regions was evaluated by neuropathology with silver staining. Repeated blast exposures resulted in significant increases in the α-II spectrin degradation products in the frontal cortex and cerebellum compared to sham controls. Expression of active caspase-3, which degrades α-II spectrin, showed significant increase in the frontal cortex after blast exposure at all the time points studied, while cerebellum showed an acute increase which was normalized over time. The expression of another α-II spectrin degrading enzyme, calpain-2, showed a rapid increase in the frontal cortex after blast exposure and it was significantly higher in the cerebellum at later time points. Neuropathological analysis showed significant levels of DAI at the frontal cortex and cerebellum at multiple time points after repeated blast injury. In summary, repeated blast exposure results in specific degradation of α-II spectrin in the brain along with differential expression of caspase-3/calpain-2 suggesting cytoskeletal breakdown as a possible contributor of DAI after repeated blast exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Valiyaveettil
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Yonas A Alamneh
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Peethambaran Arun
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Samuel Oguntayo
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Yanling Wei
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Joseph B Long
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Madhusoodana P Nambiar
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
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Turner RC, Naser ZJ, Logsdon AF, DiPasquale KH, Jackson GJ, Robson MJ, Gettens RTT, Matsumoto RR, Huber JD, Rosen CL. Modeling clinically relevant blast parameters based on scaling principles produces functional & histological deficits in rats. Exp Neurol 2013; 248:520-9. [PMID: 23876514 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Revised: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Blast-induced traumatic brain injury represents a leading cause of injury in modern warfare with injury pathogenesis poorly understood. Preclinical models of blast injury remain poorly standardized across laboratories and the clinical relevance unclear based upon pulmonary injury scaling laws. Models capable of high peak overpressures and of short duration may better replicate clinical exposure when scaling principles are considered. In this work we demonstrate a tabletop shock tube model capable of high peak overpressures and of short duration. By varying the thickness of the polyester membrane, peak overpressure can be controlled. We used membranes with a thickness of 0.003, 0.005, 0.007, and 0.010 in to generate peak reflected overpressures of 31.47, 50.72, 72.05, and 90.10 PSI, respectively. Blast exposure was shown to decrease total activity and produce neural degeneration as indicated by fluoro-jade B staining. Similarly, blast exposure resulted in increased glial activation as indicated by an increase in the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein expressing astrocytes compared to control within the corpus callosum, the region of greatest apparent injury following blast exposure. Similar findings were observed with regard to activated microglia, some of which displayed phagocytic-like morphology within the corpus callosum following blast exposure, particularly with higher peak overpressures. Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin staining showed the presence of red blood cells within the parenchyma and red, swollen neurons following blast injury. Exposure to blast with 90.10 PSI peak reflected overpressure resulted in immediate mortality associated with extensive intracranial bleeding. This work demonstrates one of the first examples of blast-induced brain injury in the rodent when exposed to a blast wave scaled from human exposure based on scaling principles derived from pulmonary injury lethality curves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Turner
- Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA; Center for Neuroscience, West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
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32
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DeWitt DS, Perez-Polo R, Hulsebosch CE, Dash PK, Robertson CS. Challenges in the Development of Rodent Models of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2013; 30:688-701. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2012.2349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S. DeWitt
- Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Regino Perez-Polo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Claire E. Hulsebosch
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Pramod K. Dash
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas
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Woods AS, Colsch B, Jackson SN, Post J, Baldwin K, Roux A, Hoffer B, Cox BM, Hoffer M, Rubovitch V, Pick CG, Schultz JA, Balaban C. Gangliosides and ceramides change in a mouse model of blast induced traumatic brain injury. ACS Chem Neurosci 2013; 4:594-600. [PMID: 23590251 DOI: 10.1021/cn300216h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Explosive detonations generate atmospheric pressure changes that produce nonpenetrating blast induced "mild" traumatic brain injury (bTBI). The structural basis for mild bTBI has been extremely controversial. The present study applies matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging to track the distribution of gangliosides in mouse brain tissue that were exposed to very low level of explosive detonations (2.5-5.5 psi peak overpressure). We observed major increases of the ganglioside GM2 in the hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus after a single blast exposure. Moreover, these changes were accompanied by depletion of ceramides. No neurological or brain structural signs of injury could be inferred using standard light microscopic techniques. The first source of variability is generated by the Latency between blast and tissue sampling (peak intensity of the blast wave). These findings suggest that subtle molecular changes in intracellular membranes and plasmalemma compartments may be biomarkers for biological responses to mild bTBI. This is also the first report of a GM2 increase in the brains of mature mice from a nongenetic etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina S. Woods
- Structural Biology Unit, NIDA IRP, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Rockville, Maryland, United States
| | - Benoit Colsch
- Structural Biology Unit, NIDA IRP, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Shelley N. Jackson
- Structural Biology Unit, NIDA IRP, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Jeremy Post
- Structural Biology Unit, NIDA IRP, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Rockville, Maryland, United States
| | - Kathrine Baldwin
- Structural Biology Unit, NIDA IRP, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Aurelie Roux
- Structural Biology Unit, NIDA IRP, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Barry Hoffer
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Brian M. Cox
- Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Rockville, Maryland, United States
| | - Michael Hoffer
- U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego, California,
United States
| | | | | | | | - Carey Balaban
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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Park E, Eisen R, Kinio A, Baker AJ. Electrophysiological white matter dysfunction and association with neurobehavioral deficits following low-level primary blast trauma. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 52:150-9. [PMID: 23238347 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Revised: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Park
- Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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35
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The Relation Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Acquired During Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2013; 28:1-12. [DOI: 10.1097/htr.0b013e318256d3d3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND War injuries, especially blast injuries, have a high risk of infection. However, no animal models of infected war injuries have been built in large animals, which retards both the understanding and the treatment optimization of infected war injuries. METHODS Soft tissue blast injuries were created by explosion of electric detonators in white domestic pigs. The ultra structure of the tissue around the wound was determined by transmission electron microscope. To develop infection of blast injury wounds, the pigs were housed in a standard animal house which was disinfected periodically, and the wounds were left untreated for 3 days. Wound specimens were collected daily to determine the bacterial load and bacterial components. To determine whether infection induces tissue necrosis in infected soft tissue blast injury wounds, uninfected blast injury wounds were created as controls of infected wounds by surgical debridement daily, and the wound area and wound depth of both wounds were measured. RESULTS The wound area and the wound depth of the soft tissue blast injury created in this study fell in the range of human moderate soft tissue war injuries, and the ultra structure of the wounds was comparable with that of human blast injury wounds. The bacterial load of uninfected wounds was under 10 colony forming unit/g during the first 3 days of injury, while that of infected wounds was over 10 colony forming unit/g after 2 days of injury. The infected soft tissue blast injury wounds contained most of the bacteria frequently isolated in battlefield wounds. In addition, infection induced evident tissue necrosis in infected blast injury wounds. CONCLUSION The infected soft tissue blast injury wounds mimic those in human, and they can be used to address key points of treatment optimization.
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Elder GA, Dorr NP, De Gasperi R, Gama Sosa MA, Shaughness MC, Maudlin-Jeronimo E, Hall AA, McCarron RM, Ahlers ST. Blast exposure induces post-traumatic stress disorder-related traits in a rat model of mild traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2012; 29:2564-75. [PMID: 22780833 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2012.2510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Blast related traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been a major cause of injury in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A striking feature of the mild TBI (mTBI) cases has been the prominent association with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, because of the overlapping symptoms, distinction between the two disorders has been difficult. We studied a rat model of mTBI in which adult male rats were exposed to repetitive blast injury while under anesthesia. Blast exposure induced a variety of PTSD-related behavioral traits that were present many months after the blast exposure, including increased anxiety, enhanced contextual fear conditioning, and an altered response in a predator scent assay. We also found elevation in the amygdala of the protein stathmin 1, which is known to influence the generation of fear responses. Because the blast overpressure injuries occurred while animals were under general anesthesia, our results suggest that a blast-related mTBI exposure can, in the absence of any psychological stressor, induce PTSD-related traits that are chronic and persistent. These studies have implications for understanding the relationship of PTSD to mTBI in the population of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Elder
- Neurology Service, James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10468, USA.
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Masel BE, Bell RS, Brossart S, Grill RJ, Hayes RL, Levin HS, Rasband MN, Ritzel DV, Wade CE, DeWitt DS. Galveston Brain Injury Conference 2010: Clinical and Experimental Aspects of Blast Injury. J Neurotrauma 2012; 29:2143-71. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2011.2258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brent E. Masel
- Transitional Learning Center, Galveston, Texas; Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Randy S. Bell
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Shawn Brossart
- Project Victory, The Transitional Learning Center, Galveston, Texas
| | - Raymond J. Grill
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Ronald L. Hayes
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | | | | | | | - Charles E. Wade
- Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Douglas S. DeWitt
- Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
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39
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Wang Y, Wei Y, Oguntayo S, Wilkins W, Arun P, Valiyaveettil M, Song J, Long JB, Nambiar MP. Tightly coupled repetitive blast-induced traumatic brain injury: development and characterization in mice. J Neurotrauma 2011; 28:2171-83. [PMID: 21770761 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2011.1990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Blast-Induced Neurotrauma Branch, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA
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40
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Pun PBL, Kan EM, Salim A, Li Z, Ng KC, Moochhala SM, Ling EA, Tan MH, Lu J. Low level primary blast injury in rodent brain. Front Neurol 2011; 2:19. [PMID: 21541261 PMCID: PMC3083909 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2011.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of blast attacks and resulting traumatic brain injuries has been on the rise in recent years. Primary blast is one of the mechanisms in which the blast wave can cause injury to the brain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a single sub-lethal blast over pressure (BOP) exposure of either 48.9 kPa (7.1 psi) or 77.3 kPa (11.3 psi) to rodents in an open-field setting. Brain tissue from these rats was harvested for microarray and histopathological analyses. Gross histopathology of the brains showed that cortical neurons were “darkened” and shrunken with narrowed vasculature in the cerebral cortex day 1 after blast with signs of recovery at day 4 and day 7 after blast. TUNEL-positive cells were predominant in the white matter of the brain at day 1 after blast and double-labeling of brain tissue showed that these DNA-damaged cells were both oligodendrocytes and astrocytes but were mainly not apoptotic due to the low caspase-3 immunopositivity. There was also an increase in amyloid precursor protein immunoreactive cells in the white matter which suggests acute axonal damage. In contrast, Iba-1 staining for macrophages or microglia was not different from control post-blast. Blast exposure altered the expression of over 5786 genes in the brain which occurred mostly at day 1 and day 4 post-blast. These genes were narrowed down to 10 overlapping genes after time-course evaluation and functional analyses. These genes pointed toward signs of repair at day 4 and day 7 post-blast. Our findings suggest that the BOP levels in the study resulted in mild cellular injury to the brain as evidenced by acute neuronal, cerebrovascular, and white matter perturbations that showed signs of resolution. It is unclear whether these perturbations exist at a milder level or normalize completely and will need more investigation. Specific changes in gene expression may be further evaluated to understand the mechanism of blast-induced neurotrauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela B L Pun
- Combat Care Laboratory, Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories Singapore
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