1 Department of Anesthesiology and the Center for Shock, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research (STAR), University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland.
2 Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland.
J Neurotrauma. 2018 May 15;35(10):1192-1203. doi: 10.1089/neu.2017.5401. Epub 2018 Jan 24.
Many victims of blast traumatic brain injury (TBI) are occupants of vehicles targeted by land mines. A rat model of under-vehicle blast TBI was used to test the hypothesis that the ensuing neuropathology and altered behavior are mitigated by vehicle frame designs that dramatically reduce blast-induced acceleration (G force). Male rats were restrained on an aluminum platform that was accelerated vertically at up to 2850g, in response to detonation of an explosive positioned under a second platform in contact with the top via different structures. The presence of elastomeric, polyurea-coated aluminum cylinders between the platforms reduced acceleration by 80% to 550g compared with 2350g with uncoated cylinders. Moreover, 67% of rats exposed to 2850g, and 20% of those exposed to 2350g died immediately after blast, whereas all rats subjected to 550g blast survived. Assays for working memory (Y maze) and anxiety (Plus maze) were conducted for up to 28 days. Rats were euthanized at 24 h or 29 days, and their brains were used for histopathology and neurochemical measurements. Rats exposed to 2350g blasts exhibited increased cleaved caspase-3 immunoreactive neurons in the hippocampus. There was also increased vascular immunoglobulin (Ig)G effusion and F4/80 immunopositive macrophages/microglia. Blast exposure reduced hippocampal levels of synaptic proteins Bassoon and Homer-1, which were associated with impaired performance in the Y maze and the Plus maze tests. These changes observed after 2350g blasts were reduced or eliminated with the use of polyurea-coated cylinders. Such advances in vehicle designs should aid in the development of the next generation of blast-resistant vehicles.
许多爆炸创伤性脑损伤 (TBI) 的受害者都是车辆的乘员，这些车辆是地雷的目标。使用大鼠模型进行了车下爆炸 TBI 的测试，该模型假设车辆框架设计可显著降低爆炸引起的加速度 (G 力)，从而减轻随之而来的神经病理学和行为改变。雄性大鼠被束缚在一个铝制平台上，当位于与顶部接触的第二个平台下方的爆炸物爆炸时，该平台会垂直加速至高达 2850g。通过不同的结构，在平台之间使用弹性、涂有聚脲的铝制圆柱体可将加速度降低 80%至 550g，而未涂覆的圆柱体则为 2350g。此外，2850g 爆炸后有 67%的大鼠立即死亡，而 2350g 爆炸后有 20%的大鼠死亡，而所有接受 550g 爆炸的大鼠均存活。进行了工作记忆 (Y 迷宫) 和焦虑 (Plus 迷宫) 的检测，最多持续 28 天。大鼠在 24 小时或 29 天时被安乐死，然后使用其大脑进行组织病理学和神经化学测量。暴露于 2350g 爆炸的大鼠海马体中出现更多的半胱天冬酶-3 免疫反应性神经元。血管免疫球蛋白 (Ig)G 渗出物和 F4/80 免疫阳性巨噬细胞/小胶质细胞也增多。爆炸暴露降低了海马体中突触蛋白 Bassoon 和 Homer-1 的水平，这与 Y 迷宫和 Plus 迷宫测试中的表现受损有关。使用涂有聚脲的圆柱体可以减少或消除在 2350g 爆炸后观察到的这些变化。车辆设计方面的此类进展应有助于开发下一代抗爆车辆。
