Open Access

Establishment of a novel rat model of blast‑related diffuse axonal injury

  • Authors:
    • Jun‑Hai Zhang
    • Jian‑Wen Gu
    • Bing‑Cang Li
    • Fa‑Bao Gao
    • Xiao‑Ming Liao
    • Shao‑Jie Cui
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 10, 2018     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6146
  • Pages: 93-102
  • Copyright: © Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Although studies concerning blast‑related traumatic brain injury (bTBI) have demonstrated the significance of diffuse axonal injury (DAI), no standard models for this type of injury have been widely accepted. The present study investigated a mechanism of inducing DAI through real blast injury, which was achieved by performing instantaneous high‑speed swinging of the rat head, thus establishing a stable animal model of blast DAI. Adult Sprague‑Dawley rats weighing 150±10 g were randomly divided into experimental (n=16), control (n=10) and sham control (n=6) groups. The frontal, parietal and occipital cortex of the rats in the experimental group were exposed, whereas those of the control group were unexposed; the sham control group rats were anesthetized and attached to the craniocerebral blast device without experiencing a blast. The rats were subjected to craniocerebral blast injury through a blast equivalent to 400 mg of trinitrotoluene using an electric detonator. Biomechanical parameters, and physical and behavioural changes of the sagittal head swing were measured using a high‑speed camera. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were conducted at 2, 12, 24 and 48 h after craniocerebral injury, only the experimental group indicated brain stem injury. The rats were sacrificed immediately following the MRI at 48 h for pathological examination of the brain stem using haematoxylin and eosin staining. The results indicated that 14 rats (87.5%) in the experimental group exhibited blast DAI, while no DAI was observed in the control and sham control groups, and the difference between the groups was significant (P<0.05). The present results indicated that this experimental design may serve to provide a stable model of blast DAI in rats.
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July-2018
Volume 16 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Zhang JH, Gu JW, Li BC, Gao FB, Liao XM and Cui SJ: Establishment of a novel rat model of blast‑related diffuse axonal injury. Exp Ther Med 16: 93-102, 2018
APA
Zhang, J., Gu, J., Li, B., Gao, F., Liao, X., & Cui, S. (2018). Establishment of a novel rat model of blast‑related diffuse axonal injury. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 16, 93-102. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6146
MLA
Zhang, J., Gu, J., Li, B., Gao, F., Liao, X., Cui, S."Establishment of a novel rat model of blast‑related diffuse axonal injury". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 16.1 (2018): 93-102.
Chicago
Zhang, J., Gu, J., Li, B., Gao, F., Liao, X., Cui, S."Establishment of a novel rat model of blast‑related diffuse axonal injury". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 16, no. 1 (2018): 93-102. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6146