Validation of a Laser-Induced Shockwave Model for In Vitro Study of Reactive Astrogliosis
<p dir="ltr">This study validates a laser-induced shockwave (LIS) system as an in vitro model for investigating reactive astrogliosis—a cellular response to traumatic brain injury. Astrocytes and cortical neurons were exposed to LIS, and their morphological and protein expression cha...
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2025
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| Summary: | <p dir="ltr">This study validates a laser-induced shockwave (LIS) system as an in vitro model for investigating reactive astrogliosis—a cellular response to traumatic brain injury. Astrocytes and cortical neurons were exposed to LIS, and their morphological and protein expression changes were analyzed to assess injury response. The focus was on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP-1), a key marker of astrocyte activation, and IBA-1, a microglial marker.</p><p dir="ltr">Mouse cortical neuron-glial cultures were fixed at intervals ranging from 2 to 24 hours post-injury. Phase and fluorescent images were stitched and analyzed using ImageJ to measure shockwave regions and quantify protein expression. Three fluorescence channels—DAPI (DNA), GFAP-1 (astrocytes), and IBA-1 (microglia)—were used to assess overlap and intensity within fields of view.</p><p dir="ltr">Results showed statistically significant increases in shockwave diameter at 2, 4, and 20 hours post-injury, indicating active astrocytic response. No significant changes were observed at 22 and 24 hours, possibly due to cellular migration into damaged regions. Elevated GFAP-1 staining confirmed astrocyte activation near shockwave sites.</p><p dir="ltr">These findings support the LIS system as a reliable model for studying astrocyte behavior following traumatic injury. Future work will focus on algorithmic quantification of protein intensity and broader applications in neurotrauma research.</p> |
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