Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
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- Verify the animal model, intervention setup, and collection timepoints against the source paper.
- Check that every direct vendor link matches the exact specification your lab plans to run.
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- Work through the protocol steps in order and use the inline vendor chips only when you need to source or verify an item.
- Jump to Experimental Context for readouts, data shape, and analysis flow before planning downstream analysis.
Protocol Steps
Start here. The step list is optimized for running the experiment, with direct vendor links available inline when you need to source a cited item.
Controlled Cortical Impact Injury
Perform controlled cortical impact procedure on mice to induce traumatic brain injury
Note: Procedure performed on both MMP-9 knock-out and wild-type littermate mice
View evidence from paper
“After controlled cortical impact in mice, MMP-9 was increased in traumatized brain”
Motor Assessment at 1 Day Post-Injury
Measure motor outcomes using rotarod device at 1 day after traumatic brain injury
Note: First timepoint for motor assessment
View evidence from paper
“Motor outcomes were measured at 1, 2, and 7 d after traumatic brain injury by the use of a rotarod device”
Motor Assessment at 2 Days Post-Injury
Measure motor outcomes using rotarod device at 2 days after traumatic brain injury
Note: Second timepoint for motor assessment
View evidence from paper
“Motor outcomes were measured at 1, 2, and 7 d after traumatic brain injury by the use of a rotarod device”
Motor Assessment at 7 Days Post-Injury
Measure motor outcomes using rotarod device at 7 days after traumatic brain injury
Note: Final timepoint for motor assessment; lesion volume analysis also performed at this timepoint
View evidence from paper
“Motor outcomes were measured at 1, 2, and 7 d after traumatic brain injury by the use of a rotarod device”
Brain Tissue Collection and Histological Processing
Collect brain tissue and prepare Nissl-stained histological sections for lesion volume measurement
Note: Performed at 7 day timepoint
View evidence from paper
“At 7 d, traumatic brain lesion volumes on Nissl-stained histological sections were significantly smaller in MMP-9 knock-out mice”
MMP-9 Level Assessment at 3 Hours Post-Injury
Measure MMP-9 levels using zymography at 3 hours after traumatic brain injury
Note: Earliest timepoint showing MMP-9 elevation
View evidence from paper
“Zymograms showed that MMP-9 was elevated as early as 3 hr after traumatic brain injury”
MMP-9 Level Assessment at 24 Hours Post-Injury
Measure total MMP-9 levels using substrate cleavage assay and zymography at 24 hours after traumatic brain injury
Note: Peak MMP-9 levels observed at this timepoint
View evidence from paper
“Total MMP-9 levels at 24 hr were significantly increased as measured by a substrate cleavage assay. Zymograms showed that MMP-9 was elevated as early as 3 hr after traumatic brain injury, reaching a maximum at ≈24 hr”
MMP-9 Level Assessment up to 1 Week Post-Injury
Monitor MMP-9 levels through 1 week post-injury using Western blot analysis and zymography
Note: Elevated MMP-9 levels persist throughout this period
View evidence from paper
“Increased MMP-9 levels persisted for up to 1 week. Western blot analysis indicated increased profiles of MMP-9 expression that corresponded with the zymographic data”