Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology
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J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. · Oct 1997
Temporal and regional patterns of axonal damage following traumatic brain injury: a beta-amyloid precursor protein immunocytochemical study in rats.
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is an important consequence of human head trauma. This experimental investigation utilized the immunocytochemical visualization of beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) to document regional patterns of axonal injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to determine the importance of injury severity on the magnitude of axonal damage. Rats underwent moderate (1.84-2.11 atm) or severe (2.38-2.52 atm) parasagittal fluid-percussion (F-P) brain injury or sham procedures. ⋯ At multiple periods after TBI, selective cortical and thalamic neurons displayed increased staining of the perikarya. A significant increase in the overall frequency of beta-APP profiles was documented in the severe vs moderately injured rats at 72 h after TBI. These data indicate that parasagittal F-P brain injury (a) results in widespread axonal damage, (b) that axonal damage includes both reversible and delayed patterns, and (c) that injury severity is an important factor in determining the severity of the axonal response to TBI.