Study of cell apoptosis in the hippocampus and thalamencephalon in a ventricular fluid impact model

The aim of this study was to investigate the apoptosis of nerve cells in the hippocampal and thalamencephalon regions using a rabbit model of ventricular fluid impact. The results for the study demonstrated a variety of pathophysiological changes in the rabbit model, while changes in the hippocampal and thalamencephalon regions were observed under a light microscope following hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)/terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Among the mild, moderate and severe injury groups, there were significant differences in the mortality rate and in the changes in vital signs and consciousness recovery time following trauma. Furthermore, H&E staining showed that pathological changes, such as hemorrhage and necrosis, occurred in the hippocampal and thalamencephalon regions at an early stage subsequent to trauma, while TUNEL staining showed that neuronal apoptosis occurred in the various injury groups. In traumatic brain injuries, the impact caused by cerebrospinal fluid moving with a certain energy results in marked damage to the contralateral periventricular structures and may generate a series of pathophysiological changes.