[Pathological changes in rabbit brain after traumatic head injuries with seawater immersion].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the pathological impact of seawater on rabbit brain tissue with severe traumatic injury.


METHODS
Modified rabbit models of severe brain injury was utilized, in which the damaged brain tissues were subjected to immersion with fresh seawater for 30 min. A control group was set up in which the trauma was induced without subsequent seawater immersion. Tissue sampling was performed at the brain injury sites at 0, 3, 8 h after seawater immersion and the pathological changes in the brain tissues were observed by means of HE staining.


RESULTS
Severe traumatic brain edema occurred in both of the two groups, but the onset time of edema differed. In the control group, brain edema was obvious at 3 h after treatment and hardly aggravated at hour 8; while in seawater treatment group, severe brain edema occurred at 8 h after the treatment and aggravated progressively.


CONCLUSIONS
Seawater immersion delays the onset and peak of traumatic brain edema following severe brain injuries, but can eventually aggravate the traumatic edema.
Yang
Li-bin
LB
Postgraduate Medical School of PLA, Beijing 100853, China. heatya@163.com
Yu
Xin-guang
XG
Jing
Jun-jie
JJ
Lin
Xin
X
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007101:Immersion; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012623:Seawater; D013997:Time Factors