Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 5, 2014
Activation of AMPK/OPA1 pathway alleviates traumatic brain damage by regulating mitophagy
Hao Wei1, Jiushan Liao2, Wei Gao1
1Fuzhou First General Hospital Affiliated with Fujian Medical University - Department of Neurosurgery - Fujian - China.
Purpose:
Mitophagy is an important process in brain damage, and the precise impact on a traumatic brain injury (TBI) model remains unclear. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates mitochondrial homeostasis and mitophagy, which are closely related to the remission of early brain injury. This study sought to explore the mechanism behind AMPK/optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) pathway in TBI via experimental verifications.
Methods:
TBI mouse model induced by weight-drop method was applied in this study. Neurological function tests, Nissl staining, TUNEL staining, and transmission electron microscopy were undertaken to assess the effects of mitophagy on the TBI model. Levels of apoptosis-related factors and mitophagy-related indicators were detected to further reveal the molecular regulatory mechanism of mitophagy in TBI.
Results:
Activation of mitophagy (MK-8722 or rapamycin treatment) reduced the severity of brain damage and mitigated neurological function deficits following TBI. MK-8722 treatment reduced neuronal apoptosis, improved neuronal mitophagy, effectively inhibited the expression of proteins Bcl-2 and Bax, and increased the expression of proteins Parkin, PINK1 and OPA1. Besides, MK-8722 improved TBI through accelerating the AMPK/OPA1 pathway, resulting in increase of mitophagy.
Conclusion:
This study is the first to pinpoint the AMPK/OPA1 pathway's involvement in TBI and the mechanism of mitophagy, thereby providing a good foundation for future experimental studies.
Related Concept Videos
MAPK Signaling Cascades
Autophagy
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

