Water and Electrolyte Distribution in Gray Matter Rendered Edematous with a Metabolic Inhibitor

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Brain edema, characterized by an increase in the water and Na+ content of the tissue, was produced in rats and mice by the administration of the metabolic inhibitor, 6-aminonicotinamide. It was attempted to prevent a pressure build up in the brain case by a craniotomy over one of the hemispheres. During the development of the edema the electrical conductivity of the rat's cerebral cortex, which is a measure for the amount of extracellular electrolytes, decreased by about 25%, suggesting a reduction in magnitude of the extracellular space. However, asphyxiation of the edematous brain resulted in an additional marked drop in conductivity, indicative of an appreciable amount of extracellular material in the tissue which can be taken up by the intracellular compartment. Electron micrographs prepared by freeze substitution of the cerebellar vermis of 6-aminonicotinamide-treated mice showed an enlargement of the glial component of the tissue, and a moderate extracellular space which was almost obliterated by asphyxiation of the brain. The metabolic inhibitor seems to produce an “intracellular” edema and a moderate decrease in extracellular space which may be due to the swelling of cellular elements in extracellular space which may be due to the swelling of elements in a brain of which the expansion is limited by the skull in spite of the attempt to prevent a pressure build up by craniotomy.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: