A novel simple traumatic brain injury mouse model

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury, one of the leading causes of death in adults under 40 years of age in the world, is frequently caused by mechanical shock, resulting in diffuse neuronal damage and long-term cognitive dysfunction. Many existing TBI animal models revival with expensive equipment or special room are needed or the processes of operations are complex and not easy to be widely used. Therefore, a simpler TBI model needs to be designed. METHODS: Our TBI model is an innovation of the modeling method through air guns shutting rubber bullets. A core facet is the application of our designed rubber bullet impact device. It could focus the hitting power to the fixed site of the brain, thus triggering a mild closed head injury. Moreover, the degree of damage can be adjusted by the times of shots. RESULTS: Our model induced blood-brain barrier leakage and diffused neuronal damage. Besides, it led to an increased level of Tau phosphorylation and resulted in cognitive dysfunction within several weeks post-injury. CONCLUSION: Our TBI model is not only simple and time-saving but also can simulate mild brain injuries in clinical. It is suitable for exploring pathobiological mechanisms as well as a screening of potential therapies for TBI. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41016-022-00273-5.