Keywords
neurology
regenerative medicine
neuroprotection
morphometry
How to Cite
Abstract
In press
Background. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) remains a significant medical and social problem due to its high incidence and the insufficient effectiveness of current treatment approaches for both military personnel and civilians, which necessitates the development of more effective neuroprotective strategies.
Aim. To evaluate the effect of lyophilized umbilical cord blood serum on morphological features and morphometric parameters in specific structural regions of the brain in a mouse model of mild blast-induced closed traumatic brain injury.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on BALB/c (Bagg Albino, substrain c) mice. Blast-induced traumatic brain injury was modeled using a high-pressure wave generator (207 kPa) applied to the parietal region. The animals were divided into three experimental groups: an intact control group, a comparison group consisting of animals with TBI without treatment, and a main experimental group consisting of animals with TBI receiving lyophilized umbilical cord blood serum (UCB serum) for 5 days. Histological analysis was performed at 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, and 60 days post-injury. Morphometry of brain layers was performed using ToupView v3.7 (Hangzhou ToupTek Photonics Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, China) and GraphPad Prism 9.0 (GraphPad, USA). Statistical analysis was carried out using Jamovi 2.6.44 (The jamovi project, Australia) with one‑way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. The study was conducted within the framework of research projects with state registration numbers 0123U105307 and 0125U000872.
Research Ethics. The experimental procedures were conducted in accordance with the Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament, the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals (ETS 123, 1986), and national bioethics regulations. Cord blood used in the study was obtained with informed consent from donors.
Results. It was established that, following TBI modeling, experimental mice exhibited disturbances in the structural organization of the motor and retrosplenial cortex, accompanied by variability in layer thickness, corresponding to mild TBI severity. In the CA1 region of the hippocampus, morphometric parameters did not show statistically significant differences compared to the intact group, despite the visual presence of histological changes. Administration of lyophilized umbilical cord blood serum was associated with the correction of morphological alterations in both the motor and retrosplenial cortex, as well as with a transient decrease in the thickness of the CA1 hippocampal layer at early stages after injury.
Conclusions. Blast-induced closed traumatic brain injury leads to diffuse, region-specific morphological changes in brain structures. Administration of lyophilized umbilical cord blood serum contributes to the modification of the course of these changes, demonstrating a neuroprotective effect and supporting the rationale for further investigation of its mechanisms of action.
Keywords: experimental medicine, neurology, regenerative medicine, neuroprotection, morphometry.
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