Mendoza-Mari Yssel, Rai Vikrant, Radwan Mohamed M, Brazdzionis James, Connett David A, Miulli Dan E, Agrawal Devendra K
Department of Translational Research, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona CA 91766.
J Surg Res (Houst). 2024;7(1):20-40. doi: 10.26502/jsr.10020338. Epub 2024 Jan 31.
Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide and represents a high economic burden for families and national health systems. After mechanical impact to the head, the first stage of the damage comprising edema, physical damage, and cell loss gives rise to a second phase characterized by glial activation, increased oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, mitochondrial damage, and exacerbated neuroinflammatory state, among other molecular calamities. Inflammation strongly influences the molecular events involved in the pathogenesis of TBI. Therefore, several components of the inflammatory cascade have been targeted in experimental therapies. Application of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) stimulation has been found to be effective in some inflammatory conditions. However, its effect in the neuronal recovery after TBI is not known. In this pilot study, Yucatan miniswine were subjected to TBI using controlled cortical impact approach. EMF stimulation via a helmet was applied immediately or two days after mechanical impact. Three weeks later, inflammatory markers were assessed in the brain tissues of injured and contralateral non-injured areas of control and EMF-treated animals by histomorphometry, immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, Western blot, and ELISA. Our results revealed that EMF stimulation induced beneficial effect with the preservation of neuronal tissue morphology as well as the reduction of inflammatory markers at the transcriptional and translational levels. Immediate EMF application showed better resolution of inflammation. Although further studies are warranted, our findings contribute to the notion that EMF stimulation could be an effective therapeutic approach in TBI patients.
创伤性脑损伤是全球致残和致死的主要原因，给家庭和国家卫生系统带来了沉重的经济负担。头部受到机械撞击后，损伤的第一阶段包括水肿、物理损伤和细胞损失，继而引发第二阶段，其特征为胶质细胞活化、氧化应激增加、兴奋性毒性、线粒体损伤以及神经炎症状态加剧等其他分子灾难。炎症强烈影响创伤性脑损伤发病机制中涉及的分子事件。因此，炎症级联反应的几个组成部分已成为实验性治疗的靶点。已发现应用电磁场（EMF）刺激在某些炎症情况下是有效的。然而，其对创伤性脑损伤后神经元恢复的影响尚不清楚。在这项初步研究中，使用可控皮质撞击方法对尤卡坦小型猪造成创伤性脑损伤。在机械撞击后立即或两天后通过头盔施加电磁场刺激。三周后，通过组织形态计量学、免疫组织化学、逆转录-定量聚合酶链反应、蛋白质免疫印迹和酶联免疫吸附测定法，评估对照动物和接受电磁场治疗动物受伤区域及对侧未受伤区域脑组织中的炎症标志物。我们的结果表明，电磁场刺激具有有益效果，可保留神经元组织形态，并在转录和翻译水平降低炎症标志物。立即施加电磁场显示出更好的炎症消退效果。尽管需要进一步研究，但我们的发现支持了电磁场刺激可能是创伤性脑损伤患者有效治疗方法的观点。
