Poster abstracts
Poster number 89 submitted by Jake Hansen
Preventing Concussive Brain Injury by Inhibiting Axon-Glial Mechanotransduction
Jacob Hansen (Ohio State Biochemistry Program; Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology), Jeff R. Tonniges (Campus Microscopy and Imaging Fascility), Hongzhen Hu (Department of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, MO), Liwen Zhang (Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Comprehensive Cancer Center The Ohio State University), Chao Sun, Di Ma (Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology; OSBP; Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology), Chen Gu (MCDB; OSBP; Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology)
Abstract:
All brain cells are considered mechanosensitive, but how they respond to a concussive head impact and contribute to the transition from primary to secondary injury remains unknown. Using a mouse model for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion, our research finds that a concussive head impact immediately induces axonal varicosities, preceding microglial activation and cortical demyelination. Transverse compression caused axon varicosities in white matter at an ultra-early time point immediately after mild TBI, whereas uniaxial stretch does not cause significant increase in varicosities. Memantine is an NMDA receptor blocker which inhibits microglial activation and prevents subsequent cortical demyelination, but not axonal varicosity formation in this TBI model. This suggests that NMDA glutamate receptor activation is necessary for glial changes, but not for axonal changes.
Keywords: mild traumatic brain injury, glia, NMDA