The Effect of Environmental Enrichment on Substantia Nigra Gene Expression after Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats

Abstract Experimental investigations into the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have demonstrated significant alterations in dopaminergic systems. Dopaminergic fibers originating within the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are important for reward learning, addiction, movement, and behavior. However, little is known about the effect of TBI on substantia nigra and VTA function. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to improve functional outcome after TBI, and a number of studies suggest that it may exert some benefits via dopaminergic signaling. To better understand the role of dopamine in chronic TBI pathophysiology and the effect of EE, we examined the mRNA expression profile within the substantia nigra and VTA at 4 weeks post-injury. Specifically, three comparisons were made: 1) TBI versus sham, 2) sham+EE versus sham+standard (STD) housing, and 3) TBI+EE versus TBI+STD. There were differential expressions of 25, 4, and 40 genes in these comparisons, respectively. Chronic a...