OBJECTIVETo observe the time course of proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of rats following traumatic craniocerebral injury (TBI).

METHODSForty-eight SD rats were randomized into 3 groups, namely the control group without any treatment, the sham-operated group with scalp incision and preparation of a cranial window, and TBI group with craniocerebral injury induced by Feeney's method. With nestin and BrdU as two cell markers, NSE as the neuron-specific marker and GFAP as the glial cell marker, immunofluorescence assay with double labeled antibodies was performed to examine the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous NSCs in the SVZ at different time points after TBI.

RESULTSs The numbers of cells positive for nestin/NSE, nestin/GFAP, BrdU/NSE, and BrdU/GFAP in the SVZ of the rats increased significantly after TBI. The positive cells began to increase at 1 day after TBI, reached the peak level at day 3 and became normal at day 14, showing significant differences between the time points of measurement following TBI and from the cell numbers in the control group measured at the same time points. The cells positive for nestin/ GFAP showed the most distinct increase in the SVZ of the rats with TBI.

CONCLUSIONTBI results in mobilization of the NSCs in the SVZ on the injured side to cause the proliferation and differentiation of the endogenous NSCs. The SVZ is one of the most important germinal centers of NSC proliferation and differentiation.