title: Pattern of cerebrospinal immediate early gene c-fos expression in an ovine model of non-accidental head injury.
abstract: Expression of the immediate early gene, c-fos, was examined in a large animal model of non-accidental head injury ("shaken baby syndrome"). Lambs were used because they have a relatively large gyrencephalic brain and weak neck muscles resembling a human infant. Neonatal lambs were manually shaken in a manner similar to that believed to occur with most abused human infants, but there was no head impact. The most striking c-fos expression was in meningothelial cells of the cranial cervical spinal cord and, to a lesser degree, in hemispheric, cerebellar, and brainstem meninges. Vascular endothelial cells also frequently showed c-fos immunopositivity in the meninges and hemispheric white matter. It was hypothesised that this c-fos immunoreactivity was due to mechanical stress induced by shaking, with differential movement of different craniospinal components.
authors.affiliation: SA Pathology, Hanson Institute Centre for Neurological Diseases, P.O. Box 14 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Electronic address: john.finnie@health.sa.gov.au.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Finnie
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Blumbergs
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manavis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D023421:Models, Animal; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D038642:Shaken Baby Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
keywords: Animal model; Non-accidental head injury; c-fos expression