Histochemical and chemical studies of the brain in cases of cardiac arrest
Wender, M.; Kozik, M.B.; Adamczewska-Goncerzewicz, Z.; Mularek, O.
Neuropatologia Polska 18(3): 385-398
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3894 PMID: 7432638 Document Number: 165793
Histochemical investigations of the activity of phosphatases, esterases and oxidoreductases, and chemical investigations of cerebral lipids were performed in 5 cases of cardiac arrest. The morphological picture of the brain after cardiac arrest presents as the dominant feature the vast neuronal loss in cerebral and cerebellar cortex and significant proliferation and hypertrophy of astroglia. In hypertrophic astrocytes, in numerous neurocytes and oligodendroglia of the white matter the increased activity of lysosomal enzymes (acid phosphatase, ATPase, thiamine pyrophosphatase) and low activity of oxidoreductases were demonstrated. In the grey matter of the brain spingomyelin, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl inositides fractions decreased apparently the result of changes in cytoplasmic membranes of neurocytes. In the myelin fraction of the brain cholesterol esters increased, a typical feature of the changes in early period of myelin sheath damage. A great similarity of morphological, histochemical and myelin lipid changes exist in cases of respiratory brain and cardiac arrest. The pathogenic mechanism is similar for the 2 in which decisive role is played by the cerebral ischemia.