Um novo modelo de Mild Traumatic Brain Injury para ratos jovens
Summary
The modified weight-drop technique is an easy, cost-effective procedure used for the induction of mild traumatic brain injury in juvenile rats. This novel technique produces clinically relevant symptomology that will advance the study of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion.
Abstract
Despite growing evidence that childhood represents a major risk period for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from sports-related concussions, motor vehicle accidents, and falls, a reliable animal model of mTBI had previously not been developed for this important aspect of development. The modified weight-drop technique employs a glancing impact to the head of a freely moving rodent transmitting acceleration, deceleration, and rotational forces upon the brain. When applied to juvenile rats, this modified weight-drop technique induced clinically relevant behavioural outcomes that were representative of post-concussion symptomology. The technique is a rapidly applied procedure with an extremely low mortality rate, rendering it ideal for high-throughput studies of therapeutics. In addition, because the procedure involves a mild injury to a closed head, it can easily be used for studies of repetitive brain injury. Owing to the simplistic nature of this technique, and the clinically relevant biomechanics of the injury pathophysiology, the modified weight-drop technique provides researchers with a reliable model of mTBI that can be used in a wide variety of behavioural, molecular, and genetic studies.
Introduction
Embora existam muitos métodos amplamente utilizados para a geração de moderada a grave lesão traumática do cérebro (TBI), muito poucas técnicas foram desenvolvidas para induzir leve, fechado ferimentos na cabeça em roedores. Devido ao fato de que leve traumatismo cranioencefálico (mTBI) é três vezes mais comum do que a lesão cerebral moderada e grave combinado 1, é necessário um modelo confiável de mTBI para facilitar a investigação sobre fisiopatologia, os resultados neurobiológicos e comportamentais, e estratégias terapêuticas. Por exemplo, em parte devido às limitações dos modelos animais atuais 2, na última década, houve mais de 200 falhou ensaios clínicos de medicamentos para o tratamento de TBI 3. Quando os sistemas de modelagem são gerados para estudos de investigação de translação, a aplicabilidade dos resultados dependem da validade do modelo implementado. Para o estudo da mTBI / concussão, um modelo animal de confiança não apenas imitar a biomecânica forças responsável pela etiologia da lesão, mas também induzir sintomas consistentes com os relatados pela população clinicamente relevante. Além disso, porque as crianças estão em risco particularmente elevado para mTBI, sistemas de modelagem óptimos seria aplicável aos roedores jovens e jovens, em adição aos seus equivalentes adultos.
Análises biomecânicas das circunstâncias em que os atletas sofreram mTBIs ou lesões cerebrais concussivas indicam que os fatores preditivos mais críticos para lesão são aceleração cabeça rápido e impactos de alta velocidade 4. A maioria dos modelos de roedores actualmente utilizados para a indução de TCE permitir pouco ou nenhum movimento da cabeça 5 (para revisão ver 2). O modelo descrito aqui, proporciona um impacto de alta velocidade para a cabeça de um rato juvenil fisicamente desenfreada que é acompanhada por uma rotação de 180 ° e de queda livre que se aplica forças de aceleração / desaceleração de cabeça e no corpo do sujeito. Taqui são dois principais vantagens associadas a esta técnica de queda de peso modificado para a indução de mTBI. Primeiro, o modelo produz concussiva clinicamente relevante como sintomatologia sem causar qualquer dano evidente para o cérebro (para uma descrição completa de resultados comportamentais ver 6). Também consistente com os relatórios clínicos da síndrome pós-concussão, esta técnica peso-drop modificado produz resultados heterogêneos. Embora os efeitos da mTBI são significativos, há uma variação substancial entre os roedores que passaram por um mTBI quando examinado em várias medidas de resultado. Em segundo lugar, o método permite o estudo de 7 mTBI repetitivo. Como a maioria dos modelos de TCE existentes provocado tais ferimentos graves, muitas vezes é difícil para induzir uma segunda lesão, e quase impossível estudar TBI repetitivo, sem grandes danos a todo o córtex.
Portanto, a razão primária para a utilização da técnica de queda de peso modificado para a inducção de mTBI é produzir uma lesão que representa mais de perto a fisiopatologia e sintomatologia de concussão e repetitivo TBI nas populações juvenis. Com o aumento da incidência de mTBI relacionado a esportes, quedas e acidentes automobilísticos, especialmente durante a infância, este modelo de roedor única de mTBI fornece aos pesquisadores uma ferramenta valiosa para o estudo de concussão-like lesão cerebral que pode ser facilmente aplicada a multiple-hit paradigmas.
Protocol
Representative Results
Discussion
Reliable modelling systems are needed to effectively cultivate basic science research that has significant translational validity. In response to rising occurrences and popular media, the investigation of mTBI and concussion has become a priority in many disciplines. However, despite increased research, there have been only incremental improvements in therapeutic strategies and treatment options 3. This lack of progress may be partially due to a discrepancy between the modeling systems employed and actual injury etiology. The majority of studies utilized rodent models that failed to reproduce the important biomechanical forces and appropriate post-injury symptomology. The current human definition of mTBI specifies that the injury results from acceleration and deceleration forces associated with a blunt trauma 10. The modified weight drop technique described here is therefore an ideal model for the study of mTBI and concussion because it uses a glancing impact to cause rapid rotational acceleration and deceleration to the head of an unrestrained animal, mimicking the biomechanical forces identified in sports-related injuries and automobile accidents. In addition, this model is easily adapted to examine repetitive mTBI, a phenomena that is emerging as a serious medical and socioeconomic issue. Studies indicate that rodents may be exposed to a series of 10 distinct mTBIs with minimal mortality 7. Finally, the method is inexpensive and can be carried out rapidly, allowing for high-throughput examination of a many therapeutic compounds and treatment regiments.
Just as with any procedural technique, certain aspects of the protocol are particularly important to the generation of reliable results. First, the tin foil needs to be scored effectively. If the tin foil is not properly scored, the force imparted by the weight during the glancing impact will not be enough to propel the juvenile rat through the tin foil onto the collection sponge. In these situations, the rat will remain in the starting position (chest down on the tin foil) and the mTBI will result from the blunt trauma from the weight impacting the stationary head, not the rotational acceleration and deceleration desired. Second, during the induction of the mTBI and the sham injury, the level of anesthetic applied to each rat should be consistent. Owing to the fact that time-to-right is used as marker of mTBI, the researcher should try to ensure that animals receiving a mTBI and animals receiving a sham injury are exposed to similar levels of anesthetic. A major advantage to this technique over many other TBI procedures is the low level and duration of anesthesiology. However, the juvenile rat needs to be non-responsive to a toe or tail pinch to ensure they do not wake-up on the stage before the injury is induced. Finally, in order to maintain a consistent injury etiology, the positioning of the rat’s head is particularly important. Ideally the weight should impact the center of the dorsal surface of the head. Caution should be taken to avoid positioning the path of the weight too near the caudal/posterior portion of the head, as impacting the brainstem and cerebellum is associated with increased mortality and seizure activity.
Based upon the biomechanical pathophysiology of injury induction and the behavioural outcomes examined, the modified weight-drop technique appears to be a reliable model for the investigation of paediatric mTBI and concussion. Although preliminary studies of this novel model have assessed some basic molecular and structural changes 7 future studies will be needed to ascertain how the brain responds to a mTBI with this injury etiology. An in-depth analysis of the neuroanatomical and biological changes that occur at the cellular and epigenetic level would increase model validity and translational applicability. In addition to stimulating the generation of targeted pharmacological therapies, understanding the pathophysiological changes that occur in the brain in response to mTBI and concussion would also direct the research related to clinical biomarkers that have the ability to predict outcomes following injury.
Divulgazioni
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Irene Ma, Rose Tobais, and Jong Rho for their technical assistance. Funding was provided to MJE by the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF) and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI). The Postdoctoral fellowship for RM was provided by ACHF.
Materials
| Brass Weights | Ginsberg Scientific | 7-2500-2 | Need to have metal loop attached to base |
| Alluminum Foil | Alcan | Available at most grocery stores | |
| Masking Tape | Commercially available | ||
| U-Shaped Plastic Stand | Constructed by Laboratory | ||
| Clamp Stand | Sigma-Aldrich | Z190357 | |
| Plastic Guide Tube | Could be constructed or purchased at a hardware store | ||
| Fishing Line | Angler 10lb | Purchased from a sporting goods retailer | |
| Isoflurane | Pharmaceutical Partners of Canada | DIN 02237518 | Inhalation Anesthetic |
| Topical Lidocaine (30ml) | Astra Zeneca | DIN 0001694 | Xylocaine Jelly 2% |
| Cotton Swabs | Commercially available | ||
| Heating Pad – 3 heat setting | Commercially available | ||
| Stop Watch | Sportline | L303 | Purchased from a sporting goods retailer |
| Video Camera | Sony | HDR-CX260V | |
| Sprague Dawley Rats | Charles River Laboratories | SAS SD 40 | Male and females ordered from Charles River Laboratories and pups bred in-house |
| Balance Beam | Constructed by Laboratory |
Riferimenti
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- Mychasiuk, R., Hehar, H., Farran, A., Esser, M. J. Mean Girls: Sex differences in the effects of mild traumatic brain injury on the social dynamics of juvenile rat play behaviour. Behavioural Brain Research. 259, (2014).
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