The modified weight-drop technique is an easy, cost-effective procedure used for the induction of mild traumatic brain injury in juvenile rats. This novel technique produces clinically relevant symptomology that will advance the study of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion.
Despite growing evidence that childhood represents a major risk period for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from sports-related concussions, motor vehicle accidents, and falls, a reliable animal model of mTBI had previously not been developed for this important aspect of development. The modified weight-drop technique employs a glancing impact to the head of a freely moving rodent transmitting acceleration, deceleration, and rotational forces upon the brain. When applied to juvenile rats, this modified weight-drop technique induced clinically relevant behavioural outcomes that were representative of post-concussion symptomology. The technique is a rapidly applied procedure with an extremely low mortality rate, rendering it ideal for high-throughput studies of therapeutics. In addition, because the procedure involves a mild injury to a closed head, it can easily be used for studies of repetitive brain injury. Owing to the simplistic nature of this technique, and the clinically relevant biomechanics of the injury pathophysiology, the modified weight-drop technique provides researchers with a reliable model of mTBI that can be used in a wide variety of behavioural, molecular, and genetic studies.
Aunque hay muchos métodos ampliamente utilizados para la generación de moderada a severa lesión cerebral traumática (TBI), muy pocos se han desarrollado técnicas para inducir leve, cerrado heridas en la cabeza en los roedores. Debido al hecho de que la lesión cerebral traumática leve (LCTL) es tres veces más común que la lesión cerebral moderada y severa combinada 1, se necesita un modelo fiable de LCTL para facilitar la investigación en relación con la fisiopatología, los resultados neurobiológicos y de comportamiento, y estrategias terapéuticas. Por ejemplo, debido en parte a las limitaciones de los modelos animales actuales 2, en la última década ha habido más de 200 fallidos ensayos clínicos con medicamentos para el tratamiento de TBI 3. Cuando los sistemas de modelado se generan para los estudios de investigación traslacional, la aplicabilidad de los resultados dependen de la validez del modelo implementado. Para el estudio de LCTL / conmoción cerebral, un modelo animal fiable no sólo imitar la fuerzas biomecánicas responsable de etiología lesión, sino que también inducen síntomas consistentes con los reportados por la población clínicamente relevante. Además, dado que los niños están en riesgo particularmente alto de LCTL, sistemas de modelado óptimo sería aplicable a los roedores jóvenes y menores de edad, además de sus equivalentes adultos.
Análisis biomecánicos de circunstancias en las que los atletas han sufrido mTBIs o lesiones cerebrales concussive indican que los factores predictivos más críticos para la lesión son la aceleración rápida y cabeza impactos de alta energía 4. La mayoría de los modelos de roedores actualmente empleados para la inducción de TBI permite poco o ningún movimiento de la cabeza 5 (para revisión ver 2). El modelo descrito aquí, entrega un impacto de alta velocidad a la cabeza de una rata juvenil físicamente desenfrenada que se acompaña de una rotación de 180 ° y la caída libre que aplica fuerzas de aceleración / deceleración a la cabeza y el cuerpo del sujeto. Taquí son dos ventajas principales asociados a esta técnica de caída de peso modificado para la inducción de LCTL. En primer lugar, el modelo produce conmoción clínicamente relevante como sintomatología sin causar un daño claro al cerebro (para una descripción completa de los resultados conductuales ver 6). También en consonancia con los informes clínicos de síndrome post-conmoción, esta técnica peso soltar modificado produce resultados heterogéneos. Aunque los efectos de la LCTL son significativas, existe una variación considerable entre los roedores que experimentaron una LCTL cuando se examina en múltiples medidas de resultado. En segundo lugar, el método permite el estudio de LCTL repetitivo 7. Como la mayoría de los modelos de TCE existentes infligir tales lesiones graves, a menudo es difícil para inducir una segunda lesión, y casi imposible estudiar TBI repetitiva sin grandes daños a toda la corteza.
Por lo tanto, la razón principal para el uso de la técnica de caída de peso modificado para la inducción de LCTL es producir una lesión que representa más de cerca la patofisiología y sintomatología de la conmoción cerebral y repetitivo TBI en poblaciones juveniles. Con la creciente incidencia de LCTL relacionado con los deportes, caídas, y accidentes automovilísticos, especialmente durante la infancia, este modelo roedor única de LCTL proporciona a los investigadores una herramienta valiosa para el estudio de la lesión cerebral conmoción similar que se puede aplicar fácilmente a múltiples hit paradigmas.
Reliable modelling systems are needed to effectively cultivate basic science research that has significant translational validity. In response to rising occurrences and popular media, the investigation of mTBI and concussion has become a priority in many disciplines. However, despite increased research, there have been only incremental improvements in therapeutic strategies and treatment options 3. This lack of progress may be partially due to a discrepancy between the modeling systems employed and actual injury etiology. The majority of studies utilized rodent models that failed to reproduce the important biomechanical forces and appropriate post-injury symptomology. The current human definition of mTBI specifies that the injury results from acceleration and deceleration forces associated with a blunt trauma 10. The modified weight drop technique described here is therefore an ideal model for the study of mTBI and concussion because it uses a glancing impact to cause rapid rotational acceleration and deceleration to the head of an unrestrained animal, mimicking the biomechanical forces identified in sports-related injuries and automobile accidents. In addition, this model is easily adapted to examine repetitive mTBI, a phenomena that is emerging as a serious medical and socioeconomic issue. Studies indicate that rodents may be exposed to a series of 10 distinct mTBIs with minimal mortality 7. Finally, the method is inexpensive and can be carried out rapidly, allowing for high-throughput examination of a many therapeutic compounds and treatment regiments.
Just as with any procedural technique, certain aspects of the protocol are particularly important to the generation of reliable results. First, the tin foil needs to be scored effectively. If the tin foil is not properly scored, the force imparted by the weight during the glancing impact will not be enough to propel the juvenile rat through the tin foil onto the collection sponge. In these situations, the rat will remain in the starting position (chest down on the tin foil) and the mTBI will result from the blunt trauma from the weight impacting the stationary head, not the rotational acceleration and deceleration desired. Second, during the induction of the mTBI and the sham injury, the level of anesthetic applied to each rat should be consistent. Owing to the fact that time-to-right is used as marker of mTBI, the researcher should try to ensure that animals receiving a mTBI and animals receiving a sham injury are exposed to similar levels of anesthetic. A major advantage to this technique over many other TBI procedures is the low level and duration of anesthesiology. However, the juvenile rat needs to be non-responsive to a toe or tail pinch to ensure they do not wake-up on the stage before the injury is induced. Finally, in order to maintain a consistent injury etiology, the positioning of the rat’s head is particularly important. Ideally the weight should impact the center of the dorsal surface of the head. Caution should be taken to avoid positioning the path of the weight too near the caudal/posterior portion of the head, as impacting the brainstem and cerebellum is associated with increased mortality and seizure activity.
Based upon the biomechanical pathophysiology of injury induction and the behavioural outcomes examined, the modified weight-drop technique appears to be a reliable model for the investigation of paediatric mTBI and concussion. Although preliminary studies of this novel model have assessed some basic molecular and structural changes 7 future studies will be needed to ascertain how the brain responds to a mTBI with this injury etiology. An in-depth analysis of the neuroanatomical and biological changes that occur at the cellular and epigenetic level would increase model validity and translational applicability. In addition to stimulating the generation of targeted pharmacological therapies, understanding the pathophysiological changes that occur in the brain in response to mTBI and concussion would also direct the research related to clinical biomarkers that have the ability to predict outcomes following injury.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
The authors would like to thank Irene Ma, Rose Tobais, and Jong Rho for their technical assistance. Funding was provided to MJE by the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF) and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI). The Postdoctoral fellowship for RM was provided by ACHF.
Brass Weights | Ginsberg Scientific | 7-2500-2 | Need to have metal loop attached to base |
Alluminum Foil | Alcan | Available at most grocery stores | |
Masking Tape | Commercially available | ||
U-Shaped Plastic Stand | Constructed by Laboratory | ||
Clamp Stand | Sigma-Aldrich | Z190357 | |
Plastic Guide Tube | Could be constructed or purchased at a hardware store | ||
Fishing Line | Angler 10lb | Purchased from a sporting goods retailer | |
Isoflurane | Pharmaceutical Partners of Canada | DIN 02237518 | Inhalation Anesthetic |
Topical Lidocaine (30ml) | Astra Zeneca | DIN 0001694 | Xylocaine Jelly 2% |
Cotton Swabs | Commercially available | ||
Heating Pad – 3 heat setting | Commercially available | ||
Stop Watch | Sportline | L303 | Purchased from a sporting goods retailer |
Video Camera | Sony | HDR-CX260V | |
Sprague Dawley Rats | Charles River Laboratories | SAS SD 40 | Male and females ordered from Charles River Laboratories and pups bred in-house |
Balance Beam | Constructed by Laboratory |