Summary
The neuroglial cells and small blood vessels of the central nervous system of the rats under hypoxia for one to 24 days were examined by electron microscopy. In the first week, the astrocytes were moderately swollen, particularly their perivascular processes. The endothelium of small vessels contained an increased number of mitochondria, accompanied by moderate thickening of the basal lamina. From the 7th to 24th days, intracellular edema in the astrocytes and oligodendrocytes became manifest. In the gray matter, the astrocytes exhibited great dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and increased translucency of the cytoplasm. Many astrocytic processes arranged themselves in lamellar whorls which encircled parts of cytoplasm or were wrapped around altered presynaptic terminals. In the white matter, profuse accumulation of the gliofilaments was observed in many astrocytes. The oligodendrocytes of the gray matter displayed marked dilatation of the ER cisternae whereas in the white matter, they frequently contained an increasing number of lipofuscin granules and lysosomes. The pericytes of the small blood vessels were greatly enlarged and contained numerous osmiophilic inclusion bodies.
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This study was supported by the Dorothy R. Victor Memorial Fund, the Lusyd Wright Hitchcock Memorial Research Fund and the Buswell Foundation.
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Mang, C.Y., Bakay, L. & Lee, J.C. Ultrastructure of the central nervous system after prolonged hypoxia. Acta Neuropathol 22, 235–244 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00684526
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00684526