Ultrastructure of astrocytes associated with selective neuronal death of cerebral cortex after repeated ischemia

Acta Neurochirurgica. Supplement
U ItoK Arima

Abstract

Astrocytic swelling after ischemic insult has been considered a sign of parturbed cell viability. Investigations using cultured astrocytes and C6 glioma cells have revealed that viable astrocytes swell, spatially buffering various metabolites which are increased by the metabolic turmoil following ischemic insults. In the present study, we have studied the temporal profile of ultrastructural changes of astrocytes in the cerebral cortex associated with progressive selective neuronal, death where infarction is not induced. We occluded the left carotid artery of the Mongolian gerbil twice for 10 minutes at a 5 hr interval. In this model, following reperfusion, selective neuronal death progresses in the coronal section cut at the infundibular level. The whole brains of the sham operated control and postischemic animals were fixed by transcardiac perfusion of glutaraldehyde fixatives, at 15 min, 5 and 12 hr after the 2nd 10 min ischemia. Ultrathin sections including the 3rd and 5th cortical layers were prepared from the cut surface at the level of infundibulum. Mild swelling of astrocytic processes and perivascular end-feet was observed in the 15 min group. Glycogen granules were not prominent. In the 5 hr group, we found a few necro...Continue Reading

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