Changes in the morphology and levels of vascular wall cells Cx40 and Cx43 expressions of middle cerebral artery after traumatic brain injury in rats
MA Ying-hui
LIU Shao-ming
XING Guo-xiang
XIU Bin-hua
Abstract：Objective To investigate the changes in the morphology and levels of the vacular wall cells connexin (Cx) 40 and Cx43 expressions of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in order to provide experimental evidence for intracranial vascular injury after TBI. Methods Forty-five adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group (n=9), sham injury group (n=9) and injury group (n=27), which were redivided into 6, 24 and 72 hours after TBI subgroups of 9 rats each. Brain injury model was established by fluid percussion injury method. The light microscope and transmission electron microscope were used to observe the changes in morphology of both the left and right MCA in all the groups. The levels of MCA walls cells Cx40 and Cx43 expressions were determined by immunohistochemical technique in all the group. Results The lumna of MCA ipsilateral and contralateral to the injury narrowed, the change in the endothelial cell morphology occurred, internal elastic membrane shrank, and the smooth muscle cells swelled edema and deformed after TBI. The levels of Cx40 and of Cx43 expressions in the wall cells of MCA ipsilateral and contralateral to the injury in all the injury groups, which reached the peak 24 hours after TBI, were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion The arteries in the injured cerebral area and near the injured cerebral area not only are injured, but also the arteries distal to the injured cerebral area are injured after TBI.
Keywords：Fluid percussion injuryMiddle cerebral arteryConnexin 40Connexin 43
Publication Date：2014-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：4( 539-542 )