title: Effectiveness of GFAP in Determining Neuronal Damage in Rats with Induced Head Trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the serum level of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an important indicator of neuron damage, correlates with the extent of tissue damage in the rat with induced head trauma and to obtain data in order to avoid unnecessary cranial computed tomography analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Rats were divided into 5 groups. The experimental head trauma model was examined in five groups (n=8) as follows: The control group had no intervention; Group 1: Head trauma was induced by dropping a 25 mg ball from a height of 20 cm; Group 2: Head trauma was induced by dropping a 50 mg ball from a height of 20 cm; Group 3: Head trauma was induced by dropping a 50 mg ball from a height of 80 cm; Group 4: Head trauma was induced by dropping a 100 mg ball from a height of 80 cm. Thus, according to the Newton's Law, respectively 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 N trauma was created. Serum GFAP levels were analyzed and the damage to cerebral tissues was evaluated in all groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We determined that number of apoptotic cells and particularly the number of GFAP (+) protoplasmic astrocytes at the perilesional region of the cortex increased in association with the increased serum GFAP level as long as the severity of the trauma increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum GFAP concentration can be used as a marker of the severity of head trauma and traumatic brain injury. However, more animal studies are required to reflect this result in clinical practice.
authors: Sakarya University, School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors: Halil Ibrahim
authors: HI
authors: Cikriklar
authors: Onur
authors: O
authors: Uysal
authors: Mehmet Ali
authors: MA
authors: Ekici
authors: Zuhtu
authors: Z
authors: Ozbek
authors: Didem Turgut
authors: DT
authors: Cosan
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Yucel
authors: Yusuf
authors: Y
authors: Yurumez
authors: Canan
authors: C
authors: Baydemir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein