Effect of in vitro storage duration on measured mechanical properties of brain tissue

Wei Zhang,Weihong Guo,Li-Fu Liu,Cheng-Wei Wu,Yue-Jiao Xiong,Yi-Fan Liu,Sheng-Bo Yu

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-19687-2

Abstract

Accurate characterization of the mechanical properties of brain tissue is essential for understanding the mechanisms of traumatic brain injuries and developing protective gears or facilities. However, how storage conditions might affect the mechanical properties of brain tissue remains unclear. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of in vitro storage duration on the mechanical performance of brain tissue since measurements are usually carried out in vitro. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements and uniaxial compression mechanical experiments are carried out. The results indicate that, for brain tissue stored at 1 °C without any liquid medium, the bio-molecular interactions and the mechanical strength of both white and grey matter deteriorate with prolonged storage duration. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results reveal the degeneration of myelin sheaths and the vacuolization of cristae with prolonged storage duration, suggesting that the in vitro storage duration should be carefully controlled. The findings from this study might facilitate the development of guidelines and standards for the in vitro storage of brain tissue.

Highlights

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is sudden damage to the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head[1]
The difference in the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of the brain tissue and the reference is measured as a function of temperature
The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results on brain tissue thermal behavior indicate that the prolonged storage at 1 °C may cause the mechanical strength of brain tissue to deteriorate

Summary

Introduction

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is sudden damage to the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head[1]. Rashid et al.[17] compared the brain tissue stored at ice-cold temperature, room temperature (22 °C), and body temperature (37 °C), and reported that the initial elastic modulus decreases as the temperature increases, and that the difference can be over 2 folds. These studies, were carried out in different testing conditions and on www.nature.com/scientificreports/. The effect of storage duration on the mechanical response of sheep brain tissue is examined. With the attempt to understand the effect of prolonged storage duration on the mechanical properties, the brain tissue slices were analyzed using Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

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Conclusion