Summary
In order to ascertain the immediate histopathological changes of rat brain following experimental surgical injury, fragments of left parietal cortex were obtained through craniotomy and fixed by immersion. Next, the animals were killed by perfusion with the same fixative used for the respective biopsy. Five groups of rats were tested, each for one different fixative. Dark neurons were by far the most prominent feature in surgically traumatized tissue, following both immersion and perfusion fixation with all five fluids. They were morphologically identical at both sites, and fixatives with widely different chemical composition, e.g. Bouin's fluid and buffered glutaraldehyde, had no influence on their aspect. It is suggested that shrunken neurons are not to be interpreted systematically as artefacts, but also represent a form of short-latency cellular reaction to injury.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, R. D., Sidman, R. L.: Introduction to Neuropathology. New York: McGraw Hill 1968
Caial, S. R.: Degeneration and regeneration of the nervous system. (Translated and edited by R. M. May). London: Oxford University Press 1928
Cammermeyer, J.: The postmortem origin and mechanism of neuronal hyperchromatosis and nuclear pyknosis. Exp. Neurol.2, 379–405 (1960)
Cammermeyer, J.: The importance of avoiding “dark” neurons in experimental Neuropathology. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)1, 245–270 (1961)
Cammermeyer, J.: An evaluation of the significance of the “dark” neuron. Ergebn. Anat. Entwickl.-Gesch.36, 1–61 (1962)
Cammermeyer, J.: Nonspecific changes of the central nervous system in normal and experimental material. In: The structure and function of nervous tissue (ed. G. H. Bourne). New York: Academic Press 1972
Cotte, G.: Étude critique de la signification de l'état hyperchromophile des cellules nerveuses. Arch. Biol. (Liège)68, 297–380 (1957)
Courville, C. B.: Traumatic alterations in the neurons of the human brain incident to craniocerebral injury. A comparison with Cajal's observations on experimental animals. Bull. Los Angeles neurol. Soc.17, 71–93 (1952_
Ebels, E. J.: Dark neurons—A significant artifact. The influence of the maturational state of neurons on the occurrence of the phenomenon. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)33, 271–273 (1975)
Friede, R. L.: Interpretation of hyperchromic nerve cells. Relative significance of the type of fixative used, of the osmolality of the cytoplasm and the surrounding fluid in the production of cell shrinkage. J. comp. Neurol.121, 137–149 (1963)
Hager, H.: Allgemeine morphologische Pathologie des Nervengewebes. In: Handbuch der allgemeinen Pathologie (Hrsg. H. W. Altmann et al.), Band III, 3. Teil. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1968
Hassin, G. B.: General pathological considerations in brain injury. In: Injuries of the skull brain and spinal cord (ed. S. Brock), pp. 13–40, Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins 1940
Johnson, J. E., Jr.: The occurrence of dark neurons in the normal and deafferentated lateral vestibular nucleus in the rat. Observations by light and electron microscopy. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)31, 117–127 (1975)
Karlsson, U., Schultz, R. L.: Fixation of the central nervous system for electron microscopy by aldehyde perfusion. I-Preservation with aldehyde perfusates versus direct perfusion with osmium tetroxide, with special reference to membranes and the extracellular space. J. Ultrastruct. Res.12, 160–186 (1965)
Lindenberg, R., Freytag, E.: Morphology of cortical contusions. Arch. Path.63, 23–42 (1957)
Møller, J. E.: The cerebral cortical biopsy. In: Neuropathology, methods and diagnosis (ed. C. G. Tedeschi), pp. 415–418. Boston: Little Brown 1970
Noack, W., Wolff, J. R., Güldner, F. H., Moritz, A.: Über die akuten Veränderungen im Parietalcortex der Ratte nach spitzem Trauma. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)19, 249–264 (1971)
Rand, C. W., Courville, C. B.: Histologic changes in the brain in cases of fatal injury to the head. VII-Alterations in nerve cells. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.)55, 79–110 (1946)
Scharrer, E.: On dark and light cells in the brain and in the liver. Anat. Rec.72, 53–65 (1938)
Stensaas, S. S., Edwards, C. Q., Stensaas, L. J.: An experimental study of hyperchromic nerve cells in the cerebral cortex. Exp. Neurol.36, 472–487 (1972)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Queiroz, L.d.S., Eduardo, R.M.d.P. Occurrence of dark neurons in living mechanically injured rat neocortex. Acta Neuropathol 38, 45–48 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691275
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691275