The Central Fluid Percussion Brain Injury in a Gyrencephalic Pig Brain: Scalable Diffuse Injury and Tissue Viability for Glial Cell Immunolabeling following Long-Term Refrigerated Storage

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of people annually; however, our knowledge of the diffuse pathologies associated with TBI is limited. As diffuse pathologies, including axonal injury and neuroinflammatory changes, are difficult to visualize in the clinical population, animal models are used. In the current study, we used the central fluid percussion injury (CFPI) model in a micro pig to study the potential scalability of these diffuse pathologies in a gyrencephalic brain of a species with inflammatory systems very similar to humans. We found that both axonal injury and microglia activation within the thalamus and corpus callosum are positively correlated with the weight-normalized pressure pulse, while subtle changes in blood gas and mean arterial blood pressure are not. We also found that the majority of tissue generated up to 10 years previously is viable for immunofluorescent labeling after long-term refrigeration storage. This study indicates that a micro pig CFPI model could allow for specific investigations of various degrees of diffuse pathological burdens following TBI.

Automated summary

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health concern, but our understanding of its diffuse pathologies is limited. In this study, the researchers used a micro pig CFPI model to investigate the potential scalability of these pathologies in a species with similarities to humans. The results showed a positive correlation between axonal injury and microglia activation in specific brain regions. Additionally, the study demonstrated the viability of long-term refrigeration storage for immunofluorescent labeling. This study suggests that the micro pig CFPI model can be a valuable tool for studying diffuse pathologies following TBI.