title: Accumulation of connective tissue growth factor+ cells during the early phase of rat traumatic brain injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glial scar formation is a common histopathological feature of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Astrogliosis and expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) are key components of scar formation and blood-brain barrier modulation. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is considered a cytokine mediating the effects of TGF-β.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we studied the CTGF expression in an open-skull weight-drop-induced TBI, with a focus on the early phase, most amenable to therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal rat brains of our study, CTGF+ cells were rarely observed. Significant parenchymal accumulation of CTGF+ non-neuron cells was observed 72 h post-TBI and increased continuously during the investigating time. We also observed that the accumulated CTGF+ non-neuron cells were mainly distributed in the perilesional areas and showed activated astrocyte phenotypes with typical stellate morphologic characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations demonstrated the time-dependent and lesion-associated accumulation of cellular CTGF expression in TBI, suggesting a pathological role of CTGF in TBI.
  The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/3963462091241165.
authors.forename: Yuqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bangwei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Woting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hermann J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schluesener
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Main Street, Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China. zhangzhiren@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zhiren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000378:metabolism; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor