title: Ultrastructural changes of macroglial cells in the rat brain following an exposure to a non-penetrative blast.
abstract: The present study examined the ultrastructural changes in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in rats following an exposure to a non-penetrative blast. At 1 and 7 days after the blast, the astrocytes in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex were hypertrophied; their end-feet associated with the blood vessels were also swollen, bearing sparsely distributed organelles. The above changes were not observed in experimental rats when the survival interval was prolonged. It is concluded from this study that the blast could have disrupted the integrity of the blood-brain barrier resulting in possible abnormal entry of serum-derived substances thereby leading to astrocytic hypertrophy. The reversible nature of the changes is evidenced by the seemingly normal appearance of astrocytes in rats killed at 14, 21 and 28 days after the blast. Oligodendrocytes remained unaffected at various time intervals after the blast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015996:Survival Rate; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology