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Complete cerebral ischemia

An ultrastructural study

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Summary

Neuronal, astrocytic, and oligodendrocytic elements in several brain loci of the cat were examined at the light and electron microscopic level immediately after periods of complete cerebral ischemia (CCI) uncomplicated by post-ischemic recirculation. Such CCI episodes ranged from 1.5–25 min duration and were methodically produced in a cat model employing rigorous physiological controls. Subsequent to these CCI insults, morphological alterations occurred in a homogeneous manner within each cell type of all loci examined; however, variation in the temporal onset and magnitude of alterations among the various cell types was observed. With brief ischemic insults all cell nuclei demonstrated pronounced nuclear alterations, while their cytoplasmic organelles displayed minimal change. Chromatin clumping and nucleolar condensation were observed in both neurons and glia subsequent to 1.5–5 min of CCI, respectively. With increasing durations of CCI such changes were more dramatic and conspicuous alterations of the cytoplasmic organelles were observed. On the basis of extensive morphological analyses the present study illustrates that nuclear alterations are the first to occur subsequent to CCI. The homogeneity of neuronal involvement seen subsequent to CCI uncomplicated by post-ischemic recirculation is inconsistent with the “selective vulnerability” purported to occur by others. The significance of this inconsistency remains to be assessed; yet, the suggestion is advanced that post-ischemic recirculation may be a factor in the genesis of such vulnerability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, 23298, Richmond, VA, USA

    Larry W. Jenkins & John T. Povlishock

  2. Department of Neurological Surgery Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, 23298, Richmond, VA, USA

    Donald P. Becker, J. Douglas Miller & Humbert G. Sullivan

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  1. Larry W. Jenkins
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  2. John T. Povlishock
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  3. Donald P. Becker
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  4. J. Douglas Miller
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  5. Humbert G. Sullivan
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Supported by PHS grant NS-12587

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Jenkins, L.W., Povlishock, J.T., Becker, D.P. et al. Complete cerebral ischemia. Acta Neuropathol 48, 113–125 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691152

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