Histological and Behavioral Evaluation after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice: A Ten Months Follow-Up Study

Individualized high-resolution analysis to categorize diverse learning and memory deficits in tau rTg4510 mice exposed to low-intensity blast

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) resulting from low-intensity blast (LIB) exposure in military and civilian individuals is linked to enduring behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. These injuries can serve as confounding risk factors for the development of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). Recent animal studies have demonstrated LIB-induced brain damage at the molecular and nanoscale levels. Nevertheless, the mechanisms linking these damages to cognitive abnormalities are unresolved. Challenges preventing the translation of preclinical studies into meaningful findings in "real-world clinics" encompass the heterogeneity observed between different species and strains, variable time durations of the tests, quantification of dosing effects and differing approaches to data analysis. Moreover, while behavioral tests in most pre-clinical studies are conducted at the group level, clinical tests are predominantly assessed on an individual basis. In this investigation, we advanced a high-resolution and sensitive method utilizing the CognitionWall test system and applying reversal learning data to the Boltzmann fitting curves. A flow chart was developed that enable categorizing individual mouse to different levels of learning deficits and patterns. In this study, rTg4510 mice, which represent a neuropathology model due to elevated levels of tau P301L, together with the non-carrier genotype were exposed to LIB. Results revealed distinct and intricate patterns of learning deficits and patterns within each group and in relation to blast exposure. With the current findings, it is possible to establish connections between mice with specific cognitive deficits to molecular changes. This approach can enhance the translational value of preclinical findings and also allow for future development of a precision clinical treatment plan for ameliorating neurologic damage of individuals with mTBI.

Weight-Drop Method for Inducing Closed Head Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the foremost causes of disability and death globally. Prerequisites for successful therapy of disabilities associated with TBI involved improved knowledge of the neurobiology of TBI, measurement of quantitative changes in recovery dynamics brought about by therapy, and the translation of quantitative methodologies and techniques that were successful in tracking recovery in preclinical models to human TBI. Frequently used animal models of TBI in research and development include controlled cortical impact, fluid percussion injury, blast injury, penetrating blast brain injury, and weight-drop impact acceleration models. Preclinical models of TBI benefit from controlled injury settings and the best prospects for biometric quantification of injury and therapy-induced gradual recovery from disabilities. Impact acceleration closed head TBI paradigm causes diffuse TBI (DTBI) without substantial focal brain lesions in rats. DTBI is linked to a significant rate of death, morbidity, and long-term disability. DTBI is difficult to diagnose at the time of hospitalization with imaging techniques making it challenging to take prompt therapeutic action. The weight-drop method without craniotomy is an impact acceleration closed head DTBI model that is used to induce mild/moderate diffuse brain injuries in rodents. Additionally, we have characterized neuropathological and neurobehavioral outcomes of the weight-drop model without craniotomy for inducing closed head DTBI of graded severity with a range of mass of weights (50-450 gm). This chapter also discusses techniques and protocols for measuring numerous functional disabilities and pathological changes in the brain brought on by DTBI.

Antioxidant theranostic copolymer-mediated reduction in oxidative stress following traumatic brain injury improves outcome in a mouse model

Following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation products (LPOx) are generated and lead to secondary injury beyond the primary insult. A major limitation of current treatments is poor target engagement, which has prevented success in clinical trials. Thus, nanoparticle-based treatments have received recent attention because of their ability to increase accumulation and retention in damaged brain. Theranostic neuroprotective copolymers (NPC3) containing thiol functional groups can neutralize ROS and LPOx. Immediate administration of NPC3 following injury in a controlled cortical impact (CCI) mouse model provides a therapeutic window in reducing ROS levels at 2.08-20.83 mg/kg in males and 5.52-27.62 mg/kg in females. This NPC3-mediated reduction in oxidative stress improves spatial learning and memory in males, while females show minimal improvement. Notably, NPC3-mediated reduction in oxidative stress prevents the bilateral spread of necrosis in male mice, which was not observed in female mice and likely accounts for the sex-based spatial learning and memory differences. Overall, these findings suggest sex-based differences to oxidative stress scavenger nanoparticle treatments, and a possible upper threshold of antioxidant activity that provides therapeutic benefit in injured brain since female mice benefit from NPC3 treatment to a lesser extent than male mice.

Alterations in iron content, iron-regulatory proteins and behaviour without tau pathology at one year following repetitive mild traumatic brain injury

Repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (r-mTBI) has increasingly become recognised as a risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, many of which are characterised by tau pathology, metal dyshomeostasis and behavioural impairments. We aimed to characterise the status of tau and the involvement of iron dyshomeostasis in repetitive controlled cortical impact injury (5 impacts, 48 h apart) in 3-month-old C57Bl6 mice at the chronic (12-month) time point. We performed a battery of behavioural tests, characterised the status of neurodegeneration-associated proteins (tau and tau-regulatory proteins, amyloid precursor protein and iron-regulatory proteins) via western blot; and metal levels using bulk inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We report significant changes in various ipsilateral iron-regulatory proteins following five but not a single injury, and significant increases in contralateral iron, zinc and copper levels following five impacts. There was no evidence of tau pathology or changes in tau-regulatory proteins following five impacts, although some changes were observed following a single injury. Five impacts resulted in significant gait deficits, mild anhedonia and mild cognitive deficits at 9-12 months post-injury, effects not seen following a single injury. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to describe chronic changes in metals and iron-regulatory proteins in a mouse model of r-mTBI, providing a strong indication towards an overall increase in brain iron levels (and other metals) in the chronic phase following r-mTBI. These results bring to question the relevance of tau and highlight the involvement of iron dysregulation in the development and/or progression of neurodegeneration following injury, which may lead to new therapeutic approaches in the future.

Chronic motor performance following different traumatic brain injury severity-A systematic review

Introduction

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is now known to be a chronic disease, causing ongoing neurodegeneration and linked to increased risk of neurodegenerative motor diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While the presentation of motor deficits acutely following traumatic brain injury is well-documented, however, less is known about how these evolve in the long-term post-injury, or how the initial severity of injury affects these outcomes. The purpose of this review, therefore, was to examine objective assessment of chronic motor impairment across the spectrum of TBI in both preclinical and clinical models.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases were searched with a search strategy containing key search terms for TBI and motor function. Original research articles reporting chronic motor outcomes with a clearly defined TBI severity (mild, repeated mild, moderate, moderate-severe, and severe) in an adult population were included.

Results

A total of 97 studies met the inclusion criteria, incorporating 62 preclinical and 35 clinical studies. Motor domains examined included neuroscore, gait, fine-motor, balance, and locomotion for preclinical studies and neuroscore, fine-motor, posture, and gait for clinical studies. There was little consensus among the articles presented, with extensive differences both in assessment methodology of the tests and parameters reported. In general, an effect of severity was seen, with more severe injury leading to persistent motor deficits, although subtle fine motor deficits were also seen clinically following repeated injury. Only six clinical studies investigated motor outcomes beyond 10 years post-injury and two preclinical studies to 18-24 months post-injury, and, as such, the interaction between a previous TBI and aging on motor performance is yet to be comprehensively examined.

Conclusion

Further research is required to establish standardized motor assessment procedures to fully characterize chronic motor impairment across the spectrum of TBI with comprehensive outcomes and consistent protocols. Longitudinal studies investigating the same cohort over time are also a key for understanding the interaction between TBI and aging. This is particularly critical, given the risk of neurodegenerative motor disease development following TBI.

Melatonin ameliorates neurological deficits through MT2/IL-33/ferritin H signaling-mediated inhibition of neuroinflammation and ferroptosis after traumatic brain injury

Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of death and disability worldwide, there is currently a lack of effective therapeutic drugs and targets. To reveal the complex pathophysiologic mechanisms of TBI, we performed transcriptome analysis of the mouse cerebral cortex and immunohistochemical analysis of human cerebral tissues. The genes Mt1, Mt2, Il33, and Fth1 were upregulated post-TBI and enriched in pathways associated with the inflammatory response, oxidative phosphorylation, and ferroptosis. As an agonist of MT1/2, melatonin (MLT) confers anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ferroptosis effects after TBI. However, whether these upregulated genes and their corresponding pathways are involved in the neuroprotective effect of MLT remains unclear. In this study, interventions to inhibit MT1/2, IL-33, and ferroptosis (i.e., ferritin H (Fth)-KO) were applied post-TBI. The results showed that MLT attenuated TBI-induced cerebral edema and neurological outcomes by inhibiting inflammation and ferroptosis. Mechanistically, MLT mainly suppressed inflammatory responses and ferroptosis via the activation of MT2 and IL-33 pathways. Building on the previous finding that Fth deletion increases susceptibility to ferroptosis post-TBI, we demonstrated that Fth depletion remarkably exacerbated the post-TBI inflammatory response, and abolished the anti-inflammatory effects of MLT both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the post-TBI anti-inflammatory effect of MLT, which occurs by promoting the polarization of CD206⁺ macrophages, was dependent on Fth. Taken together, these results clarified that MLT alleviates inflammation- and ferroptosis-mediated brain edema and neurological deficits by activating the MT2/IL-33/Fth pathway, which provides a novel target and theoretical basis for MLT to treat TBI patients.

Neuroprotection of NRF2 against Ferroptosis after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

Ferroptosis and iron-related redox imbalance aggravate traumatic brain injury (TBI) outcomes. NRF2 is the predominant transcription factor regulating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in TBI, but its role in iron-induced post-TBI damage is unclear. We investigated ferroptotic neuronal damage in the injured cortex and observed neurological deficits post-TBI. These were ameliorated by the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) in wild-type mice. In Nrf2-knockout (Nrf2−/−) mice, more sever ferroptosis and neurological deficits were detected. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF)-mediated NRF2 activation alleviated neural dysfunction in TBI mice, partly due to TBI-induced ferroptosis mitigation. Additionally, FTH-FTL and FSP1 protein levels, associated with iron metabolism and the ferroptotic redox balance, were highly NRF2-dependent post-TBI. Thus, NRF2 is neuroprotective against TBI-induced ferroptosis through both the xCT-GPX4- and FTH-FTL-determined free iron level and the FSP1-regulated redox status. This yields insights into the neuroprotective role of NRF2 in TBI-induced neuronal damage and its potential use in TBI treatment.

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation improves the motor function of middle-aged mice by restoring the neuronal activity of the motor cortex

Physiological aging causes motor function decline and anatomical and biochemical changes in the motor cortex. We confirmed that middle-aged mice at 15-18 months old show motor function decline, which can be restored to the young adult level by supplementing with mitochondrial electron transporter coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) as a water-soluble nanoformula by drinking water for 1 week. CoQ₁₀ supplementation concurrently improved brain mitochondrial respiration but not muscle strength. Notably, we identified an age-related decline in field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) amplitude in the pathway from layers II/III to V of the primary motor area of middle-aged mice, which was restored to the young adult level by supplementing with CoQ₁₀ for 1 week but not by administering CoQ₁₀ acutely to brain slices. Interestingly, CoQ₁₀ with high-frequency stimulation induced NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in layer V of the primary motor cortex of middle-aged mice. Importantly, the fEPSP amplitude showed a larger input‒output relationship after CoQ₁₀-dependent LTP expression. These data suggest that CoQ₁₀ restores the motor function of middle-aged mice by improving brain mitochondrial function and the basal fEPSP level of the motor cortex, potentially by enhancing synaptic plasticity efficacy. Thus, CoQ₁₀ supplementation may ameliorate the age-related decline in motor function in humans.

Sex-based differences of antioxidant enzyme nanoparticle effects following traumatic brain injury

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), reactive oxygen species (ROS) are released in excess, causing oxidative stress, carbonyl stress, and cell death, which induce the additional release of ROS. The limited accumulation and retention of small molecule antioxidants commonly used in clinical trials likely limit the target engagement and therapeutic effect in reducing secondary injury. Small molecule drugs also need to be administered every several hours to maintain bioavailability in the brain. Therefore, there is a need for a burst and sustained release system with high accumulation and retention in the injured brain. Here, we utilized Pro-NP™ with a size of 200 nm, which was designed to have a burst and sustained release of encapsulated antioxidants, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and catalase (CAT), to scavenge ROS for >24 h post-injection. Here, we utilized a controlled cortical impact (CCI) mouse model of TBI and found the accumulation of Pro-NP™ in the brain lesion was highest when injected immediately after injury, with a reduction in the accumulation with delayed administration of 1 h or more post-injury. Pro-NP™ treatment with 9000 U/kg SOD1 and 9800 U/kg CAT gave the highest reduction in ROS in both male and female mice. We found that Pro-NP™ treatment was effective in reducing carbonyl stress and necrosis at 1 d post-injury in the contralateral hemisphere in male mice, which showed a similar trend to untreated female mice. Although we found that male and female mice similarly benefit from Pro-NP™ treatment in reducing ROS levels 4 h post-injury, Pro-NP™ treatment did not significantly affect markers of post-traumatic oxidative stress in female CCI mice as compared to male CCI mice. These findings of protection by Pro-NP™ in male mice did not extend to 7 d post-injury, which suggests subsequent treatments with Pro-NP™ may be needed to afford protection into the chronic phase of injury. Overall, these different treatment effects of Pro-NP™ between male and female mice suggest important sex-based differences in response to antioxidant nanoparticle delivery and that there may exist a maximal benefit from local antioxidant activity in injured brain.

Persistent neuroinflammation and behavioural deficits after single mild traumatic brain injury

Despite an apparently silent imaging, some patients with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience cognitive dysfunctions, which may persist chronically. Brain changes responsible for these dysfunctions are unclear and commonly overlooked. It is thus crucial to increase our understanding of the mechanisms linking the initial event to the functional deficits, and to provide objective evidence of brain tissue alterations underpinning these deficits. We first set up a murine model of closed-head controlled cortical impact, which provoked persistent cognitive and sensorimotor deficits, despite no evidence of brain contusion or bleeding on MRI, thus recapitulating features of mild TBI. Molecular MRI for P-selectin, a key adhesion molecule, detected no sign of cerebrovascular inflammation after mild TBI, as confirmed by immunostainings. By contrast, in vivo PET imaging with the TSPO ligand [18F]DPA-714 demonstrated persisting signs of neuroinflammation in the ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus after mild TBI. Interestingly, immunohistochemical analyses confirmed these spatio-temporal profiles, showing a robust parenchymal astrogliosis and microgliosis, at least up to 3 weeks post-injury in both the cortex and hippocampus. In conclusion, we show that even one single mild TBI induces long-term behavioural deficits, associated with a persistent neuro-inflammatory status that can be detected by PET imaging.

Development of an age-dependent cognitive index: relationship between impaired learning and disturbances in circadian timekeeping

Preclinical quantitative models of cognitive performance are necessary for translation from basic research to clinical studies. In rodents, non-cognitive factors are a potential influence on testing outcome and high variability in behavior requires multiple time point testing for better assessment of performance in more sophisticated tests. Thus, these models have limited translational value as most human cognitive tests characterize cognition using single digit scales to distinguish between impaired and unimpaired function. To address these limitations, we developed a cognitive index for learning based on previously described scores for strategies used by mice to escape the Barnes maze. We compared the cognitive index and circadian patterns of light-dark entrainment in young (4-6 months), middle-aged (13-14 months), and aged (18-24 months) mice as cognitive changes during aging are often accompanied by pronounced changes in sleep-wake cycle. Following continuous analysis of circadian wheel-running activity (30-40 days), the same cohorts of mice were tested in the Barnes maze. Aged mice showed significant deficits in the learning and memory portions of the Barnes maze relative to young and middle-aged animals, and the cognitive index was positively correlated to the memory portion of the task (probe) in all groups. Significant age-related alterations in circadian entrainment of the activity rhythm were observed in the middle-aged and aged cohorts. In middle-aged mice, the delayed phase angle of entrainment and increased variability in the daily onsets of activity preceded learning and memory deficits observed in aged animals. Interestingly, learning-impaired mice were distinguished by a positive relationship between the extent of Barnes-related cognitive impairment and variability in daily onsets of circadian activity. While it is unclear whether changes in the sleep-wake cycle or other circadian rhythms play a role in cognitive impairment during aging, our results suggest that circadian rhythm perturbations or misalignment may nevertheless provide an early predictor of age-related cognitive decline.

Moderate traumatic brain injury triggers long-term risks for the development of peripheral pain sensitivity and depressive-like behavior in mice

As traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of permanent disability, there is increasing interest in the long-term outcome of TBI. While motor deficits, cognitive impairment and longer-term risks of neurodegenerative disease are well-established consequences in animal models of TBI, pain is discussed less often despite its high prevalence. The current study addresses the need to characterize the extent of chronic pain and long-term behavioral impairments induced by moderate lateral fluid percussion injury (latFPI) in mice up to 12 months post-TBI and evaluates the validity of the model. Adult male BALB/c mice were subjected to latFPI, and the results were compared with outcomes in sham-operated mice. Mouse behavior was assessed at 1 and 7 days and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-injury using sensory-motor (neurological severity score, NSS), cold (acetone) and mechanical sensitivity (von Frey), depressive-like behavior (tail suspension), locomotor (open field), motor coordination (rotarod) and cognitive (Morris water maze, y-maze, passive avoidance) tests. Animals with TBI demonstrated significantly higher NSS than the sham-operated group for up to 9 months after the injury. Cold sensitization was significantly increased in the contralateral hind paw in the TBI group compared to that of the sham group at 3, 6, and 9 months after TBI. In the von Frey test, the withdrawal threshold of the contralateral and ipsilateral hind paws was reduced at 6 months after TBI and lasted for up to 12 months post-injury. latFPI induced progressive depressive-like behavior starting at 6 months post-injury. No significant deficits were observed in memory, motor coordination or locomotion over the 12-month assessment period. The present study demonstrates that moderate TBI in mice elicits long-lasting impairment of sensory-motor function, results in progressive depression and potentiates peripheral pain. Hence, the latFPI model provides a relevant preclinical setting for the study of the link between brain injury and chronic sequelae such as depression and peripheral pain.

Ellagic Acid Modulates the Amyloid Precursor Protein Gene via Superoxide Dismutase Regulation in the Entorhinal Cortex in an Experimental Alzheimer's Model

Patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) are still increasing worldwide. The development of (AD) is related to oxidative stress and genetic factors. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of ellagic acid (EA) on the entorhinal cortex (ERC), which plays a major role in episodic memory, in the brains of an AD rat model. AD was induced using AlCl3 (50 mg/kg orally for 4 weeks). Rats were divided into four groups: control, AD model, EA (treated with 50 mg/kg EA orally for 4 weeks), and ADEA (AD rats treated with EA after AlCl3 was stopped) groups. All rats were investigated for episodic memory using the novel object recognition test (NORT), antioxidant serum biomarkers, lipid peroxidation, histopathology of the ERC, and quantitative PCR for the superoxide dismutase (SOD) gene. EA therapy in AD rats significantly increased the discrimination index for NORT and the levels of SOD, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity. Lipid peroxidation products were decreased, and the neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques in the ERC sections were reduced after EA administration. The decrease in ERC thickness in the AD group, caused by caspase-3-mediated apoptosis and neurotoxicity due to amyloid precursor protein, was modulated by the increased SOD mRNA expression. Adjustment of the ERC antioxidant environment and decreased oxidative stress under EA administration enhanced SOD expression, resulting in the modulation of amyloid precursor protein toxicity and caspase-3-mediated apoptosis, thereby restoring episodic memory.

Traumatic Brain Injury: An Age-Dependent View of Post-Traumatic Neuroinflammation and Its Treatment

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability all over the world. TBI leads to (1) an inflammatory response, (2) white matter injuries and (3) neurodegenerative pathologies in the long term. In humans, TBI occurs most often in children and adolescents or in the elderly, and it is well known that immune responses and the neuroregenerative capacities of the brain, among other factors, vary over a lifetime. Thus, age-at-injury can influence the consequences of TBI. Furthermore, age-at-injury also influences the pharmacological effects of drugs. However, the post-TBI inflammatory, neuronal and functional consequences have been mostly studied in experimental young adult animal models. The specificity and the mechanisms underlying the consequences of TBI and pharmacological responses are poorly understood in extreme ages. In this review, we detail the variations of these age-dependent inflammatory responses and consequences after TBI, from an experimental point of view. We investigate the evolution of microglial, astrocyte and other immune cells responses, and the consequences in terms of neuronal death and functional deficits in neonates, juvenile, adolescent and aged male animals, following a single TBI. We also describe the pharmacological responses to anti-inflammatory or neuroprotective agents, highlighting the need for an age-specific approach to the development of therapies of TBI.

3,6'-Dithiopomalidomide Ameliorates Hippocampal Neurodegeneration, Microgliosis and Astrogliosis and Improves Cognitive Behaviors in Rats with a Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. It can instigate immediate cell death, followed by a time-dependent secondary injury that results from disproportionate microglial and astrocyte activation, excessive inflammation and oxidative stress in brain tissue, culminating in both short- and long-term cognitive dysfunction and behavioral deficits. Within the brain, the hippocampus is particularly vulnerable to a TBI. We studied a new pomalidomide (Pom) analog, namely, 3,6′-dithioPom (DP), and Pom as immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiD) for mitigating TBI-induced hippocampal neurodegeneration, microgliosis, astrogliosis and behavioral impairments in a controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI in rats. Both agents were administered as a single intravenous dose (0.5 mg/kg) at 5 h post injury so that the efficacies could be compared. Pom and DP significantly reduced the contusion volume evaluated at 24 h and 7 days post injury. Both agents ameliorated short-term memory deficits and anxiety behavior at 7 days after a TBI. The number of degenerating neurons in the CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of the hippocampus after a TBI was reduced by Pom and DP. DP, but not Pom, significantly attenuated the TBI-induced microgliosis and DP was more efficacious than Pom at attenuating the TBI-induced astrogliosis in CA1 and DG at 7D after a TBI. In summary, a single intravenous injection of Pom or DP, given 5 h post TBI, significantly reduced hippocampal neurodegeneration and prevented cognitive deficits with a concomitant attenuation of the neuroinflammation in the hippocampus.

The pros and cons of motor, memory, and emotion-related behavioral tests in the mouse traumatic brain injury model

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical emergency with high morbidity and mortality. Motor, memory, and emotion-related deficits are common symptoms following TBI, yet treatment is very limited. To develop new drugs and find new therapeutic avenues, a wide variety of TBI models have been established to mimic the heterogeneity of TBI. In this regard, along with histologic measures, behavioral functional outcomes provide valuable insight into the underlying neuropathology and guide neurorehabilitation efforts for neuropsychiatric impairment after TBI. Development, characterization, and application of behavioral tests that can assess functional neurologic deficits are essential to the development of translational therapies. This comprehensive review aims to summarize 19 common behavioral tests from three aspects (motor, memory, and emotion-related) that are associated with TBI pathology. Discussion covers the apparatus, the test steps, the evaluation indexes, data collection and analysis, animal performance and applications, advantages and disadvantages as well as precautions to eliminate bias wherever possible. We discussed recent studies on TBI-related preconditioning, biomarkers, and optimized behavioral protocols. The neuropsychologic tests employed in clinics were correlated with those used in mouse TBI models. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive, up-to-date reference for TBI researchers to choose the right neurobehavioral protocol according to the research objectives of their translational investigation.

Genetic inactivation of SARM1 axon degeneration pathway improves outcome trajectory after experimental traumatic brain injury based on pathological, radiological, and functional measures

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes chronic symptoms and increased risk of neurodegeneration. Axons in white matter tracts, such as the corpus callosum (CC), are critical components of neural circuits and particularly vulnerable to TBI. Treatments are needed to protect axons from traumatic injury and mitigate post-traumatic neurodegeneration. SARM1 protein is a central driver of axon degeneration through a conserved molecular pathway. Sarm1−/− mice with knockout (KO) of the Sarm1 gene enable genetic proof-of-concept testing of the SARM1 pathway as a therapeutic target. We evaluated Sarm1 deletion effects after TBI using a concussive model that causes traumatic axonal injury and progresses to CC atrophy at 10 weeks, indicating post-traumatic neurodegeneration. Sarm1 wild-type (WT) mice developed significant CC atrophy that was reduced in Sarm1 KO mice. Ultrastructural classification of pathology of individual axons, using electron microscopy, demonstrated that Sarm1 KO preserved more intact axons and reduced damaged or demyelinated axons. Longitudinal MRI studies in live mice identified significantly reduced CC volume after TBI in Sarm1 WT mice that was attenuated in Sarm1 KO mice. MR diffusion tensor imaging detected reduced fractional anisotropy in both genotypes while axial diffusivity remained higher in Sarm1 KO mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed significant attenuation of CC atrophy, myelin loss, and neuroinflammation in Sarm1 KO mice after TBI. Functionally, Sarm1 KO mice exhibited beneficial effects in motor learning and sleep behavior. Based on these findings, Sarm1 inactivation can protect axons and white matter tracts to improve translational outcomes associated with CC atrophy and post-traumatic neurodegeneration.

Vitamin A supplementation ameliorates motor incoordination via modulating RORα in the cerebellum in a valproic acid-treated rat autism model with vitamin A deficiency

Motor dysfunctions are common comorbidities among autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Abnormal cerebellar development throughout critical periods may have an effect on motor functions and result in motor impairments. Vitamin A (VA) plays a crucial role in the developing process of the nervous system. The correlation of VA deficiency (VAD) and ASD with motor dysfunctions, however, is not clear. Therefore, we built rat models with different VA levels based on the valproic acid (VPA)-treated autism model. ASD rats with VAD showed aggravated motor coordination abnormalities, Purkinje cell loss and impaired dendritic arborization of Purkinje cells compared to ASD rats with normal VA levels (VA normal, VAN). Additionally, the expression levels of retinoid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) and retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) were lower in the cerebellum of ASD rats with VAD than in those of ASD rats with VAN. VA supplementation (VAS) effectively improved motor coordination and cerebellar Purkinje cell abnormalities in ASD rats with VAD. Furthermore, the results of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays confirmed that the enrichment of RARα was detected on the RORα promoter in the cerebellum and that VAS could upregulate the binding capacity of RARα for RORα promoters. These results showed that VAD in autism might result in cerebellar impairments and be a factor aggravating a subtype of ASD with motor comorbidities. The therapeutic effect of VAS on motor deficits and Purkinje neuron impairments in autism might be due to the regulation of RORα by RARα.

Antioxidant thioether core-crosslinked nanoparticles prevent the bilateral spread of secondary injury to protect spatial learning and memory in a controlled cortical impact mouse model of traumatic brain injury

The secondary phase of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is partly caused by the release of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the primary injury. However, there are currently no therapies that have been shown to reduce the secondary spread of injury beyond the primary insult. Nanoparticles offer the ability to rapidly accumulate and be retained in injured brain for improved target engagement. Here, we utilized systemically administered antioxidant thioether core-cross-linked nanoparticles (NP1) that scavenge and inactivate ROS to reduce this secondary spread of injury in a mild controlled cortical impact (CCI) mouse model of TBI. We found that NP1 treatment protected CCI mice from injury induced learning and memory deficits observed in the Morris water maze (MWM) test at 1-month post-CCI. This protection was likely a result of NP1-mediated reduction in oxidative stress in the ipsilateral hemisphere as determined by immunofluorescence imaging of markers of oxidative stress and the spread of neuroinflammation into the contralateral hippocampus as determined by immunofluorescence imaging of activated microglia and neuron-astrocyte-microglia triad formation. These data suggest NP1-mediated reduction in post-traumatic oxidative stress correlates with the reduction in the spread of injury to the contralateral hippocampus to protect spatial memory and learning in CCI mice. Therefore, these materials may offer an improved treatment strategy to reduce the secondary spread of TBI.