title: Occludin and connexin 43 expression contribute to the pathogenesis of traumatic brain edema.
abstract: The experimental model of traumatic brain injury was established in Sprague-Dawley rats according to Feeney's free falling method. The brains were harvested at 2, 6 and 24 hours, and at 3 and 5 days after injury. Changes in brain water content were determined using the wet and dry weights. Our results showed that water content of tissue significantly increased after traumatic brain injury, and reached minimum at 24 hours. Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed pathological impairment of brain tissue at each time point after injury, particularly at 3 days, with nerve cell edema, degenera-tion, and necrosis observed, and the apoptotic rate significantly increased. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis revealed that the expression of occludin at the injured site gradually de-creased as injury time advanced and reached a minimum at 3 days after injury; the expression of connexin 43 gradually increased as injury time advanced and reached a peak at 24 hours after in-jury. The experimental findings indicate that changes in occludin and connexin 43 expression were consistent with the development of brain edema, and may reflect the pathogenesis of brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524023, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Wanyin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Huizhou First People's Hospital, Huizhou 516003, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Guojie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Huizhou First People's Hospital, Huizhou 516003, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Huizhou First People's Hospital, Huizhou 516003, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoteng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Huizhou First People's Hospital, Huizhou 516003, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Yingchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524023, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524023, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pan
keywords: brain edema; connexin 43; grants-supported paper; nerve cells; neural regeneration; neuroregeneration; occludin; thology; tight junction; traumatic brain injury