Importance of Neurogenic Inflammation in Blast-Induced Neurotrauma.

摘要

This study investigates the role of blood-borne immune cells as important mediators of damage and neuropathology resulting from blast-induced neurotrauma (BINT). We hypothesized that macrophages, along with their secreted cytokines and chemokines from the periphery, migrate via blood and infiltrate the CNS where they contribute to neuronal damage caused by activated microglia both in acute and chronic injury phases of BINT. We have used MRI and molecular techniques in mice with mild/moderate blast injury generated in a compressed helium-driven shock tube, as well as measurements of motor performance and behavioral assessment, observed temporally over 1 month. Groups of animals with mild/moderate BINT are imaged (MRI) and validated by immunocytochemistry, to visualize potential macrophage infiltration; blood-brain barrier (BBB) disturbance; reactive gliosis; or astrocyte activation. We show that a single exposure to mild/moderate blast induces both acute and chronic glial activation, levels of cytokines/chemokines, and motor impairment.