title: Correlation of cell apoptosis with brain edema and elevated intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the correlation between brain edema, elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and cell apoptosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, totally 42 rabbits in 7 groups were studied. Six of the animals were identified as a control group, and the remaining 36 animals were equally divided into 6 TBI groups. TBI models were produced by the modified method of Feeney. After the impact, ICP of each subject was recorded continuously by an ICP monitor until the animal was sacrificed at scheduled time. The apoptotic brain cells were detected by an terminal deoxynucleotide-transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Cerebral water content (CWC) was measured with a drying method and calculated according to the Elliott formula. Then, an analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between the count of apoptotic cells and the clinical pathological changes of the brain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apoptotic cell count began to increase 2 h after the impact, and reached its maximum about 3 days after the impact. The peak value of CWC and ICP appeared 1 day and 3 days after the impact, respectively. Apoptotic cell count had a positive correlation with CWC and ICP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In TBI, occurrence of brain edema and ICP increase might lead to apoptosis of brain cells. Any therapy which can relieve brain edema and/or decrease ICP would be able to reduce neuron apoptosis, thereby to attenuate the secondary brain damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China. zjcswk@163.net
authors.forename: Xiao-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei-guo
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jiang-biao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wei-wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shi-ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Xiu-jue
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wei-ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D012016:Reference Values; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014867:Water