Expression of the basic fibroblast growth factor gene in mild and more severe head injury in the rat

Abstract

Object. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene expression and neuropathological changes in the hippocampus after varying degrees of brain injury. Methods. Mild and severe brain injury in rats was produced by using Marmarou's method. There were 25 animals in each brain injury group and 25 additional animals served as controls. Basic fibroblast growth factor gene expression was investigated by means of RNA hybridization, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical analysis, and histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin staining. A 3.7-kb bFGF messenger (m)RNA was detected in the rat hippocampus in both control and injured rats. In the mild injury group its expression was increased at 12 hours after injury and peaked on the 3rd day. Neuronal degeneration in the hippocampal CA2 and CA3 sectors was maximum on that day. In the severe injury group, the expression of the bFGF gene was the same as that in the mild injury group at corresp...