Acute Neurobehavioral and Glial Responses to Explosion Gas Inhalation in Rats

Abstract

Military personnel, firefighters, and fire survivors exhibit a higher prevalence of mental health conditions such as depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. While numerous studies have examined the neurological impacts of physical trauma and psychological stress, research on acute neurobehavioral effects of gas inhalation from explosions or fires is limited. This study investigates the early‐stage neurobehavioral and neuronal consequences of acute explosion gas inhalation in Sprague–Dawley rats. Rats were exposed to simulated explosive gas and subsequently assessed using behavioral tests and neurobiological analyses. The high‐dose exposure group demonstrated significant depression‐like behaviors, including reduced mobility and exploration. However, neuronal damage was not evident in histological analyses. Immunofluorescence revealed increased density of radial glia and oligodendrocytes in specific brain regions, suggesting hypoxia and axon damage induced by gas inhalation as a potential mechanism for the observed neurobehavioral changes. These findings underscore the acute impact of explosion gas inhalation on mental health, highlighting the habenula and dentate gyrus of hippocampus as the possible target regions. The findings are expected to support early diagnosis and treatment strategies for brain injuries caused by explosion gas, offering insights into early intervention for depression and PTSD in affected populations.