ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the regional cerebral metabolic changes in different episodes by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after explosive brain injury in rabbits. Methods Fortyfive New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into eight groups, ie, normal control group( 10 rabbits) and trauma group (35 rabbits). The explosive injury in trauma group was induced by explosion of 600 mg TNT equivalent of paper detonators at 6.5 cm above the rabbit brain. The rabbits in trauma group was divided into 1,6, 12, 24 hours, 3, 7, 14 days subgroups (6 rabbits per group). The survival rate was observed at different time points after explosive injury. The MRS was used to detect the regional cerebral metabolic changes including N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) ratio and choline(Cho)/Cr ratio as well as evolution of blast injuries over time. Results The rabbits survived for overseven days in the trauma groups, with typical brain contusion manifested by pathological and conventional MRI. Compared with the normal control group, the NAA/Cr ratio was markedly decreased at one hour after injury, slightly rose again at 24 hours and fell again after seven days. The Cho/Cr ratio was markedly increased at one hour after injury, slightly fell again at 12 hours and rose again at three days after injury.Conclusions MRS can manifest the regional cerebral metabolic changes of rabbits with explosive injury at different time points and hence provide a theoretical basis for understanding the local tissue changes and determining the type of tissue damage after blast injury.