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Pybus AF, Bitarafan S, Brothers RO, Rohrer A, Khaitan A, Moctezuma FR, Udeshi K, Davies B, Triplett S, Griffin MN, Dammer EB, Rangaraju S, Buckley EM, Wood LB. Profiling the neuroimmune cascade in 3xTg-AD mice exposed to successive mild traumatic brain injuries. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:156. [PMID: 38872143 PMCID: PMC11177462 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03128-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBI) sustained within a window of vulnerability can result in long term cognitive deficits, depression, and eventual neurodegeneration associated with tau pathology, amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, gliosis, and neuronal and functional loss. However, a comprehensive study relating acute changes in immune signaling and glial reactivity to neuronal changes and pathological markers after single and repetitive mTBIs is currently lacking. In the current study, we addressed the question of how repeated injuries affect the brain neuroimmune response in the acute phase of injury (< 24 h) by exposing the 3xTg-AD mouse model of tau and Aβ pathology to successive (1x-5x) once-daily weight drop closed-head injuries and quantifying immune markers, pathological markers, and transcriptional profiles at 30 min, 4 h, and 24 h after each injury. We used young adult 2-4 month old 3xTg-AD mice to model the effects of rmTBI in the absence of significant tau and Aβ pathology. We identified pronounced sexual dimorphism in this model, with females eliciting more diverse changes after injury compared to males. Specifically, females showed: (1) a single injury caused a decrease in neuron-enriched genes inversely correlated with inflammatory protein expression and an increase in AD-related genes within 24 h, (2) each injury significantly increased a group of cortical cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-9, IL-13, IL-17, KC) and MAPK phospho-proteins (phospho-Atf2, phospho-Mek1), several of which co-labeled with neurons and correlated with phospho-tau, and (3) repetitive injury caused increased expression of genes associated with astrocyte reactivity and macrophage-associated immune function. Collectively our data suggest that neurons respond to a single injury within 24 h, while other cell types, including astrocytes, transition to inflammatory phenotypes within days of repetitive injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa F Pybus
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sara Bitarafan
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rowan O Brothers
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alivia Rohrer
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Arushi Khaitan
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Felix Rivera Moctezuma
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kareena Udeshi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brae Davies
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sydney Triplett
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Martin N Griffin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Srikant Rangaraju
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Erin M Buckley
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Levi B Wood
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Criado-Marrero M, Ravi S, Bhaskar E, Barroso D, Pizzi MA, Williams L, Wellington CL, Febo M, Abisambra JF. Age dictates brain functional connectivity and axonal integrity following repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577316. [PMID: 38328104 PMCID: PMC10849649 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) present a major public health challenge, demanding an in-depth understanding of age-specific signs and vulnerabilities. Aging not only significantly influences brain function and plasticity but also elevates the risk of hospitalizations and death following repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBIs). In this study, we investigate the impact of age on brain network changes and white matter properties following rmTBI employing a multi-modal approach that integrates resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), graph theory analysis, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI). Utilizing the CHIMERA model, we conducted rmTBIs or sham (control) procedures on young (2.5-3 months old) and aged (22-month-old) male and female mice to model high risk groups. Functional and structural imaging unveiled age-related reductions in communication efficiency between brain regions, while injuries induced opposing effects on the small-world index across age groups, influencing network segregation. Functional connectivity analysis also identified alterations in 79 out of 148 brain regions by age, treatment (sham vs. rmTBI), or their interaction. Injuries exerted pronounced effects on sensory integration areas, including insular and motor cortices. Age-related disruptions in white matter integrity were observed, indicating alterations in various diffusion directions (mean, radial, axial diffusivity, fractional anisotropy) and density neurite properties (dispersion index, intracellular and isotropic volume fraction). Inflammation, assessed through Iba-1 and GFAP markers, correlated with higher dispersion in the optic tract, suggesting a neuroinflammatory response in aged animals. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between age, injuries, and brain connectivity, shedding light on the long-term consequences of rmTBIs.
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Pybus AF, Bitarafan S, Brothers RO, Rohrer A, Khaitan A, Moctezuma FR, Udeshi K, Davies B, Triplett S, Dammer E, Rangaraju S, Buckley EM, Wood LB. Profiling the neuroimmune cascade in 3xTg mice exposed to successive mild traumatic brain injuries. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544838. [PMID: 37397993 PMCID: PMC10312742 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBI) sustained within a window of vulnerability can result in long term cognitive deficits, depression, and eventual neurodegeneration associated with tau pathology, amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, gliosis, and neuronal and functional loss. However, we have limited understanding of how successive injuries acutely affect the brain to result in these devastating long-term consequences. In the current study, we addressed the question of how repeated injuries affect the brain in the acute phase of injury (<24hr) by exposing the 3xTg-AD mouse model of tau and Aβ pathology to successive (1x, 3x, 5x) once-daily weight drop closed-head injuries and quantifying immune markers, pathological markers, and transcriptional profiles at 30min, 4hr, and 24hr after each injury. We used young adult mice (2-4 months old) to model the effects of rmTBI relevant to young adult athletes, and in the absence of significant tau and Aβ pathology. Importantly, we identified pronounced sexual dimorphism, with females eliciting more differentially expressed proteins after injury compared to males. Specifically, females showed: 1) a single injury caused a decrease in neuron-enriched genes inversely correlated with inflammatory protein expression as well as an increase in AD-related genes within 24hr, 2) each injury significantly increased expression of a group of cortical cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-9, IL-13, IL-17, KC) and MAPK phospho-proteins (phospho-Atf2, phospho-Mek1), several of which were co-labeled with neurons and correlated with phospho-tau, and 3) repetitive injury caused increased expression of genes associated with astrocyte reactivity and immune function. Collectively our data suggest that neurons respond to a single injury within 24h, while other cell types including astrocytes transition to inflammatory phenotypes within days of repetitive injury.
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Kmeťová K, Drobná D, Lipták R, Hodosy J, Celec P. Early dynamics of glial fibrillary acidic protein and extracellular DNA in plasma of mice after closed head traumatic brain injury. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:e68-e74. [PMID: 35810032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in plasma is an established biomarker of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans. Plasma extracellular DNA (ecDNA) is a very sensitive, although nonspecific marker of tissue damage including TBI. Whether plasma GFAP or ecDNA could be used as an early non-invasive biomarker in the mouse model of closed head injury is unknown. The aim of this paper was to describe the early dynamics of plasma GFAP and ecDNA in the animal model of closed head TBI. METHODS Closed head TBI was induced using the weight-drop method in 40 adult CD1 mice and blood was collected in different time points (1, 2 or 3h) after TBI in different groups of mice. Plasma GFAP and ecDNA and ecDNA fragmentation from the experimental groups were compared to healthy controls. In the surviving mice, a static rods test was performed 30 days after TBI to assess the neurological outcome of TBI. RESULTS Despite a trend of higher plasma GFAP after TBI the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. Plasma ecDNA was higher by 50% after 1h (P<0.05) and 2h (P<0.05) after TBI and was highly variable after 3h. Plasma ecDNA, but not GFAP, was partially predictive of the neurological impairment of the mice. CONCLUSION In this study, we have described the early dynamics of plasma GFAP and ecDNA after TBI in mice. According to our results, ecDNA in plasma is a more sensitive early marker of TBI than GFAP. Analysis of tissue-specific ecDNA might improve its predictive value regarding the survival and neurobehavioral outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Kmeťová
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - D Drobná
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - R Lipták
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Emergency Department, University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - J Hodosy
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Emergency Department, University Hospital Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - P Celec
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Jović M, Prim D, Saini E, Pfeifer ME. Towards a Point-of-Care (POC) Diagnostic Platform for the Multiplex Electrochemiluminescent (ECL) Sensing of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) Biomarkers. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:172. [PMID: 35323442 PMCID: PMC8946848 DOI: 10.3390/bios12030172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Globally, 70 million people are annually affected by TBI. A significant proportion of all TBI cases are actually mild TBI (concussion, 70-85%), which is considerably more difficult to diagnose due to the absence of apparent symptoms. Current clinical practice of diagnosing mTBI largely resides on the patients' history, clinical aspects, and CT and MRI neuroimaging observations. The latter methods are costly, time-consuming, and not amenable for decentralized or accident site measurements. As an alternative (and/or complementary), mTBI diagnostics can be performed by detection of mTBI biomarkers from patients' blood. Herein, we proposed two strategies for the detection of three mTBI-relevant biomarkers (GFAP, h-FABP, and S100β), in standard solutions and in human serum samples by using an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay on (i) a commercial ECL platform in 96-well plate format, and (ii) a "POC-friendly" platform with disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE) and a portable ECL reader. We further demonstrated a proof-of-concept for integrating three individually developed mTBI assays ("singleplex") into a three-plex ("multiplex") assay on a single SPCE using a spatially resolved ECL approach. The presented methodology demonstrates feasibility and a first step towards the development of a rapid POC multiplex diagnostic system for the detection of a mTBI biomarker panel on a single SPCE.
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Rosato E, Bonelli M, Locatelli M, de Grazia U, Tartaglia A, Savini F, D’Ovidio C. Forensic Biochemical Markers to Evaluate the Agonal Period: A Literature Review. Molecules 2021; 26:3259. [PMID: 34071519 PMCID: PMC8198460 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, forensic research is multidisciplinary with new methods and parameters useful to define the cause and time of death as well as survival/agony times. The identification of biochemical markers able to estimate agonal period has been studied by many forensic researchers. It is known that the estimation of agonal time in different types of death is not always easy, hence our interest in literature's data. The studies analyzed in this review confirm the important role of thanatobiochemistry for the estimation of survival times. Regardless of the death cause, the survival/agony time between the primary event and death influences markers concentrations in biological samples (e.g., blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid). Different biomarkers can be used for qualitative evaluations in deaths with short and long agony (e.g., C-reactive protein, ferritin, GFAP, etc.). Instead, the quantitative interpretation showed limits due to the lack of reference cut-offs. Thanatobiochemistry is a useful tool to confirm what emerged from autopsies findings (macroscopic and histological analysis), but further studies are desirable to confirm the evidence emerging from our review of the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Rosato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (E.R.); (M.L.); (A.T.)
| | - Martina Bonelli
- Section of Legal Medicine, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via Polacchi, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Marcello Locatelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (E.R.); (M.L.); (A.T.)
| | - Ugo de Grazia
- Laboratory of Neurological Biochemistry and Neuropharmacology, IRCCS Neurological Institute Foundation Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Angela Tartaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (E.R.); (M.L.); (A.T.)
| | - Fabio Savini
- Pharmatoxicology Laboratory-Hospital “Santo Spirito”, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124 Pescara, Italy;
| | - Cristian D’Ovidio
- Section of Legal Medicine, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Via Polacchi, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
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