title: Anxiety caused by traumatic brain injury correlates to decreased prefrontal cortex VEGF immunoreactivity and neuron density in immature rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may cause neuropsychiatric disorders such as     anxiety disorder which has negative effects on cognitive functions and behavior.     The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of TBI on anxiety and     vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunoreactivity on the prefrontal     cortex of immature rats, which is one of the anxiety-related regions of the     brain in 7-day-old immature rats subjected to contusion injury. MATERIAL and
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were divided into three groups: Control (n=7), Sham (n=7) and TBI     (n=7). Anxiety levels were assessed with open field activity and elevated plus     maze in postnatal 27 days. Prefrontal cortex damage related to TBI was examined     by cresyl violet staining and VEGF immunostaining. Prefrontal cortex neuronal     density was calculated. Serum corticosterone levels were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anxiety level in the TBI group was significantly greater than the control     and sham groups. The prefrontal cortex VEGF immunostaining score and neuron     density were decreased in the TBI group compared to control and sham group.     Serum corticosterone levels were significantly increased in the TBI group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that TBI decreases VEGF immunoreactivity in     prefrontal cortex neurons and increases the anxiety levels of immature rats.
authors.affiliation: Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Department of Histology and Embryology, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: Ferihan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cetin
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: Ilkay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aksu
authors.forename: Ayfer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dayi
authors.forename: Muge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiray
authors.forename: Ali Riza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sisman
authors.forename: Durgul
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Mehmet Nuri
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Arda
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uysal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D003345:Corticosterone