title: Detecting diffuse axonal injury in rat brainstems by diffusion tensor imaging and AQP4 expression.
abstract: This study investigated the correlation between AQP4 expression and DTI in rat brainstems after diffuse axonal injuries (DAI). Forty rats were imaged before injury and reimaged at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 72 h post-injury. A control group of 8 rats was imaged and sacrificed for histology but not injured. After brain injury, AQP4 expression and ADC values in the brainstems increased gradually, reaching peak values at 24 h and 12 h, respectively. FA values decreased within 72 h. There was a negative correlation between ADC values and brainstem AQP4 expression at 12 h, and a positive correlation at 24 h or 72 h (P<0.01), respectively. Changes in the ADC and FA values in the brainstems indicated brain edema and severe axonal injuries. The correlations between AQP4 expression and time-dependent ADC values aid in understanding brain edema development after DAI.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macao.
authors.forename: Chunlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Lingmei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Xiran
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Wenyao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D020833:Diffuse Axonal Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: C496032:Aqp4 protein, rat; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: AQP4; Diffusion axonal injury; apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC); brain edema; diffusion tensor imaging; fractional anisotropy (FA)