Structural and Functional Effects of High-Rate Mechanical Loading on Primary Hippocampal Neurons In Vitro
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability and mortality for the modern-day Warfighter. Although progress has been made to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury, central questions regarding disease initiation and progression remain unanswered. Specifically, directed energy and similar novel exposure paradigms present the potential to influence biology; however, their fundamental mechanisms of action remain unknown and warrant further scientific inquiry. To this end, hippocampal cultures were grown upon various tissue culture substrates for up to 19 days in vitro. Cultures were exposed, using a custom-built test fixture paired to a piezoelectric driver and signal generator, to frequencies between 15 and 80 kHz or a sham stimulus. Subsequent to exposure, gross cell morphology, membrane permeability, and protein localization were assayed via optical methods. Electrophysiological activity was monitored for changes after exposure using glass microelectrode arrays. Results showed no effect of exposure at acute timepoints assayed in this study. This report establishes methods and a generalizable in vitro framework that may add value to directed energy bioeffects studies with relevance to the Warfighter. Future efforts should aim to, more comprehensively, study temporal alterations to cell biology after exposure to a myriad of intelligence informed waveforms.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 28, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1212682
Entities
People
- Ann M. Dileonardi
- Ian Berke
- Tyson Loudon
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory