[Model of diffuse axonal injury and focal brain injury in rats].

OBJECTIVE

To establish a rather ideal experimental brain injury model in rats, in which diffuse axonal injury(DAI) and focal brain contusion were made concurrently.

METHODS

The pathophysiological changes were monitored, and the histological changes were observed under naked eye, microscope and electric microscope.

RESULTS

1. The mortality in the group suffering from DAI with focal contusion(Group A) was much higher than that in DAI(Group B) and sham group(Group C); 2. The time of post-injury primary coma in Group A [(5.19 +/- 0.49) h] was longer than that in Group B [(2.75 +/- 0.16) h] and Group C [(2.77 +/- 0.20) h] significantly(P < 0.01); 3. Immunohistological examination showed that the diffuse axonal injury could be seen in several parts of the brain(subcortical, corpus callosum and brainstem) in Group A; 4. We observed in Group A under electric microscope that the axons were swollen and degenerated fragmently, neurofilaments ranged disorderly and there was vacuolation.

CONCLUSION

The model is cheap, simple and can be easily repeated. Furthermore it can be used to research the changes of pathophysiology, histology and moleculobiochemistry of head injury in human beings.