Project description:These data show differences in up- and down-regulation for protein abundances in the hippocampus of double blast vs. sham rats. Tandem mass tags (TMT)-MS results showed 136 up-regulated and 94 down-regulated proteins between the two groups. These TMT-MS findings revealed changes never described before in blast studies. In the absence of behavioral changes, these proteomic data further support the existence of an asymptomatic blast-induced molecular altered status (ABIMAS) associated with specific protein changes in the rat hippocampus.
Project description:Long term chest blast exposure can lead to mental disorders, brain inflammation and oxidative stress in soldiers. However, the underlying mechanism of brain injury caused indirectly by chest blast remains unclear. It is urgent to find more potential biomarkers to reveal the deeper pathogenesis of this phenomenon. We used iTRAQ labeling combined with LC-MS/MS to screen potential differentially expressed proteins in rat brain after chest blast at different time points. Meanwhile, we also used Go, KEGG, David and Cytoscape to analyze the proteomic profile and explore its pathogenesis. Moreover, Western blotting was used to verify the target proteins. Our data showed that, a total of 6,931 proteins were identified. A total of 255 differentially expressed proteins were identified, of which 43, 84, 52, 97 and 49 proteins were identified from brain tissues at 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, and 1w after chest blast exposure. Bioinformatics analysis, including GO, COG, KEGG and STRING, further proved that brain damage caused by chest blast exposure was involved in many important biological processes and signal pathways, such as inflammation, cell adhesion, phagocytosis, neuronal and synaptic damage, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Moreover, Western blotting further confirmed that these differentially expressed proteins and signaling pathways were associated with brain damage caused by chest blast exposure. For the first time, we screened and verified the potential protein biomarkers of brain damage caused indirectly by chest blast, and provided a new target for the treatment of this disease.
Project description:Long term chest blast exposure can lead to mental disorders, brain inflammation and oxidative stress in soldiers. However, the underlying mechanism of brain injury caused indirectly by chest blast remains unclear. It is urgent to find additional reliable biomarkers to reveal the intimate details of the pathogenesis of this phenomenon. We used iTRAQ labeling combined with LC-MS/MS to screen potential differentially expressed proteins in rat brain after chest blast at different time points. Meanwhile, we also used GO, KEGG, David and Cytoscape to analyze the proteomic profile and explore its pathogenesis. Moreover, Western blotting was used to verify the target proteins. Our data showed that, a total of 6,931 proteins were identified. A total of 255 differentially expressed proteins were identified, of which 43, 84, 52, 97 and 49 proteins were identified from brain tissues at 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, and 1w after chest blast exposure, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis, including GO, COG, KEGG and STRING, further proved that brain damage caused by chest blast exposure affects many important biological processes and signal pathways, such as inflammation, cell adhesion, phagocytosis, neuronal and synaptic damage, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Moreover, Western blotting further confirmed that these differentially expressed proteins and signaling pathways were associated with brain damage caused by chest blast exposure. For the first time, we screened and verified the potential protein biomarkers of brain damage caused indirectly by chest blast, and provided a new target for the treatment of this disease.
Project description:Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) of varied types are common across all populations and can cause visual problems. For military personnel in combat settings, injuries from blast exposures (bTBI) are prevalent and arise from a myriad of different situations. To model these diverse conditions, we are one of several groups modeling bTBI using mice in varying ways. Here, we report a refined analysis of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage in male C57BL/6J mice exposed to a blast-wave in an enclosed chamber. Ganglion cell layer thickness, RGC density (BRN3A and RBPMS immunoreactivity), cellular density of ganglion cell layer (hematoxylin and eosin staining), and axon numbers (paraphenylenediamine staining) were quantified at timepoints ranging from 1 to 17-weeks. RNA sequencing was performed at 1-week and 5-weeks post-injury. Earliest indices of damage, evident by 1-week post-injury, are a loss of RGC marker expression, damage to RGC axons, and increase in glial markers expression. Blast exposure caused a loss of RGC somas and axons-with greatest loss occurring by 5-weeks post-injury. While indices of glial involvement are prominent early, they quickly subside as RGCs are lost. The finding that axonopathy precedes soma loss resembles pathology observed in mouse models of glaucoma, suggesting similar mechanisms.
Project description:Objective: Blast induced traumatic brain injuries are a signature injury of recent war campaigns; yet little is known about the biological mechanisms underlying blast exposures. Methods: In a group of military personnel (N = 69), prior to, and on each day of a blast training program (10 days total), blood was collected; throughout training, blast exposure measures were detected by helmet sensors to determine the mean peak pressure in pounds per square inch (psi). On day 7, some participants (n= 29) sustained a moderate blast (mean peak pressure = 7.9 psi) and were matched to participants with no/low blast exposure during the training (n = 40). Results: RNA-seq identified 1,803 dysregulated genes, including 746 up-regulated genes and 1,058 down-regulated genes following a moderate blast exposure. The IPA showed the APP gene network to be most dysregulated following blast, with an IPA network score of 43. Real-time qPCR was used to validate the expression changes for four genes 4 genes, namely: amyloid precursor protein (APP), amyloid precursor-like protein 2 (APLP2), nicastrin (NCSTN) and NEDD8 Activating Enzyme E1 Subunit 1 (NAE1) and significant dysregulation of these genes was confirmed (p = 0.00083476, p = 0.000105, p = 0.000673 and p = 0.043145, respectively). Conclusions: Moderate blast exposure results in a signature biological profile that includes acute APP reductions, followed by genetic expression increases and normalization of APP levels; these changes likely influence neuronal recovery.
Project description:Male Long Evans rats aging 10-12 weeks were exposed to repeated blast overpressure and then went through behavioral tests for anxiety and fear conditioning. After 1-1.5 months (sub-acute) or 12-13 months (chronic), amygdala tissue specimens from all animals were collected. RNA-seq was used to measure transcriptome-wide gene expression of sham and blast animals at different timepoints. The study identified changes in the amygdalar transcriptome and associated anxiety-related phenotypic outcomes related to both blast exposure and aging, which may play a role in the long-term pathological consequences of mTBI.