Apoptosis and c-fos expression in the rat gut mucosa following traumatic brain injury / 肠外与肠内营养

ABSTRACT

Objective:The aim is to study the apoptosis and c-fos expression occurred in the rat gut following traumatic brain injury,and to explore the potential role of mucosal apoptosis in the intestinal barrier dysfunction and the relation of c-fos expression with the mucosal apoptosis.Methods:Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups(6 rats each group) including controls with sham operation and TBI groups at hours 3,12,24,and 72,and on day 7.Parietal brain contusion was adopted using weight-dropping method.Rat jejunum was taken at each corresponding time point.Apoptosis was detected by in situ immunohistochemical staining(TUNEL) and c-fos expression by immunohistochemistry.Results:Mucosal epithelium appeared to be the major apoptotic cells,and the number of apoptotic cells increased since 3 h after TBI,peaking at 72 h postinjury.The apoptotic cells initially located at the tip of villus and gradually spread to the whole villus.The c-fos expression of gut mucosa gradually increased after TBI,predominantly in epithelial cells,smooth muscle cells and lymphocytes and with the maximal expression appeared at 24 h,72 h and 7 d postinjury.Conclusion:It is highly suggested that intestinal mucosa apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of gut barrier damage,and c-fos expression might be highly responsible for the apoptosis,proliferation and renovation of the small intestinal mucosa.