Effect of diffuse axonal injury on expression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the rat brain stem tissues

Objective To investigate the dynamic changes in the expression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) in the rat brain stem after diffuse axonal injury (DAI).Methods Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into three groups, i.e. normal group (n=10), sham-injury group (n=10) and DAI group (n=30). The thirty rats in DAI group were then re-divided into three subgroups, i.e. DAI groups 1 (n=10), 2 (n=10) and 3 (n=10), in which the rats were sacrificed 7, 30 and 90 days after DAI respectively. The rats were sacrificed in sham-injury group immediately after they were only subjected to anesthesia and fixation of their head to the head frame.DAI model was made in DAI group. The immunohistochemical technique and the IPP software were used to assess the expression of α7nAChR in the brain stem tissues of all the rats.ResultsThe levels of α7 nAChR expression in the brain stem tissues was significantlyhigher in the normal group, sham-injury group and DAI group 1 than that in DAI group 2 (P0.05), which was significantly higher than that in DAI group 3 (P0.05).Conclusion The decrease in the expression of α7 nAChR in rat brain stem tissues may produced by DAI.