Molecular gene expression following blunt and rotational models of traumatic brain injury parallel injuries associated with stroke and depression

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a collection of physical, emotional and cognitive post complications. The background for such complex consequences may be due to a number of different factors, and the nature of these changes indicates that the frontal lobes may be implicated. In this study we have employed gene expression arrays and gene ontology databases to search for possible similarities between different forms of acquired brain injuries in order to test whether molecular relationships exist between the different pathologies. Two types of experimental models for traumatic brain injuries, lateral fluid percussion and rotational acceleration, were used. Their molecular signature was identified and compared with those related to other rodent models simulating stress, depression, alcohol dependence, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. The data show that the two TBI models share similar gene expression changes with the models with regard to depression and stroke, indicating a common molecular support between these pathologies. The data provided can contribute to the introduction of new treatment strategies related to TBI.