Relation between the dynamics of early ultrastructural changes in the cerebral cortex of the rat and radiation dose

The electron microscopic investigation of the sensomotor zone in the cerebral cortex of mature male rats after total neutron and gamma radiation of high doses has demonstrated, that during first three hours after the influence the dynamics of ultrastructural changes in neurons, glial elements and microcirculatory bed depends on the radiation dose. After gamma radiation of 150 Gy, destructive changes in neurons, increased permiability of blood capillaries and development of perivascular edema are noted at earlier time than after radiation dose of 10 Gy. When the greater dose of radiation is used, also earlier reaction of the barrier structures in the brain is observed.     

Ultrastructure of cells of the lateral field of the hypothalamus of the cat after exposure to electromagnetic radiation

Under the effect of electromagnetic radiation not any specific changes are revealed in the neural system unequivocally characterizing disturbances in its structure as a result of an excess absorption of electromagnetic energy. The ultrastructural changes revealed in the lateral fields of the cat hypothalamus are suitable for a well known scheme demonstrating the course of the pathological process, where three phases are distinguished: reactive, destructive and restorative. The pathological process develops gradually. The reactive changes in neurons and synapses, observed immediately after withdrawal of the electromagnetic action. increase during the following three months and result in coarse destructive disorders and in death of some neurons and synapses. In 6 months certain signs of restoration of the structures are observed. Under the effect of electromagnetic radiation water redistribution between the structures takes place, the sympathetic terminals loosing their fluid. Thus, certain conditions are produced for sticking together the synaptic vesicles. Possibly that deficiency of Ca++ ions contributes to it.     

Early ultrastructural reactions in various parts of the visual analyzer in guinea pigs after thermogenic microwave irradiation]

A single total radiation of guinea pigs by means of microwaves of thermogenic intensity (energy density stream 60 mVt/sm2) and exposition for 10 min produces ultrastructural reactions in various parts of the visual analyser, differing in their manifestation degree. The most essential alterative changes have been revealed in the retina, appearing in 6 h after radiation, as degeneration of the membrane disks of the photoreceptors and as enhancement of phagocytic activity of pigmentocytes, and immediately after the radiation--as destructive disturbances of mitochondria in radial glyocytes and as reaction of the synaptic apparatus. In the cerebral visual centers a higher reactivity of neurons of the external geniculate bodies than in the visual cortex is noted, but ultrastructural disturbances of the hematoencephalic barrier and synapses of the visual cortex are more manifested. Early ultrastructural changes in the optic nerve are least manifested.     

The triboluminescence of the blood and the brain cellular elements in rats exposed to X irradiation in doses causing bone marrow, intestinal and cerebral syndromes]

Triboluminescence of blood and brain cells (neurons and neuroglia) in bone marrow, intestinal and cerebral radiation syndromes has been investigated. Dynamics of triboluminescence intensity of neurons and glial cells after irradiation (0.013, 0.31 and 3.87 C/kg) is the same with that of blood triboluminescence.     

Ultrastructure of the cerebral cortex in the rat after the effect of electromagnetic impulse

In mature rats an area on the head has been subjected to a single radiation for 1.5 sec with microwaves in the continuous regimen of generation, frequency 2.4 GHz level of the specific absorbed power 5 W/g, that is accompanied with appearance of convulsions. Under anesthesia specimens of the superficial layer of the cerebral superlateral part are taken and subjected to electron microscopical investigation. Immediately after radiation and in 2 h certain disorders in microcirculation and reactive changes of mitochondria in perikaryons, axons, dendrites, synapses of the neurons and in gliocytes are revealed. The mitochondrial changes are designated as "edematous". In 2 and 6 h in karyoplasm of some neurons membranous structures appear; they are interpreted as a result of heat denaturation of the nuclear proteins. In synapses, together with lesions of mitochondria, synaptic complexes undergo destruction and osmiophilic substance is accumulated in the subsynaptic zone along the whole length of the contact. In one day, essential destructive changes are revealed as severe lesions of some neurons, vacuolization and destruction of mitochondria, localized in all the structures. Pathogenesis of the neurological disturbances is based on disturbances of interneuronal interactions, connected with an immediate heat effect of the electromagnetic radiation on the structures responsible for the synaptic transmission and with a rapidly developing tissue hypoxia as a consequence of microcirculatory disturbance and a sharp inhibition of energetic metabolism.     

Effect of actinomycin D on the ultrastructure of the hippocampal cortex

Ultrastructure of the CA1 zone in the rat dorsal hippocampus has been investigated after injection of actinomycin D into the cerebral lateral ventricles. Actinomycin D possesses a wider spectrum of action as it was previously thought. The data obtained make it possible to suppose that certain cerebral disturbances (in particular, memory), produced with actinomycin D, can be dependent on or stipulated by: decreased DNA synthesis in the neuronal nuclei, disorder of RNA synthesis in neurons and astrocytes, damage of the protein synthesis apparatus only in neurons with a dense granular endoplasmic reticulum, decreasing contents of functionally active neurons, possessing a loose granular endoplasmic reticulum, decreasing production of energy by mitochondria of synapses, neurons and astrocytes.     

Reaction of neurons of the cerebral cingular area in rats to damage of the central monoaminergic systems]

Intracisternal injection of specific neurotoxins 6-oxydopamine and 5,7-dioxytryptamine, producing certain disorders in catecholaminergic and serotoninergic systems respectively, is accompanied with some ultrastructural rearrangements in the proper neurons of the rat cerebral cingular cortex. In the experimental material an essential increase in the amount of intranuclear inclusions--vacuole- and myelin-like--of fibrillar origin is observed. More often than in the control connection of the endoplasmic reticulum with the nuclear membrane is noted. Hypertrophy of cisterns in the Golgi complex, abundance of coated vesicles in its region, dilatation of cisterns of the endoplasmic reticulum are observed. The character of the ultrastructural rearrangements demonstrates certain changes in activity of metabolic processes of these cells, the changes being more pronounced in the case, when the cerebral serotoninergic system is damaged. The reaction of the cerebral cingular zone to injection of neurotoxins is characterized with a selective manifestation and is restricted with certain nervous cells of the II-V layers. According to their ultrastructural organization, these neurons can be considered as stellate and pyramidal.     

Effect of chronic alcoholic intoxication in the rat on the structural organization of the caudate nucleus in their progeny

By means of light (Nissl and Golgi), electron microscopy, as well as using morphometry, structure of neurons and interneuronal connections of the nucleus caudatus has been studied in 21-day-old rats reproduced by chronically alcoholized parents. As demonstrated the investigations, in young rats, physically underdeveloped, there are some signs of a delayed maturation in neurons, dendrites and synapses. Certain distrophic and reparative shifts are observed in all experimental animals. The distrophic changes of neural structures in the nucleus caudatus preponderate over the reparative ones, and in the destructive course not only the neuronal body is involved, but its processes, as well. The lesions of the latter influence organization of the synaptic contacts. This is demonstrated as a sharply decreased number of synapses of the formation studied in the field of vision. The occurring disturbance in the structure of dendrites, which play an important role in the primary integration of the information received by the neuron, can cause development of certain mental disorders in children born in alcoholic families. The reparative changes in neurons and interneuronal connections revealed suppose possible reversibility of the morphological changes observed in the offspring of drunkards.     

The ultrastructural reorganization of the neurons in some brain formations during the deprivation of paradoxical sleep]

Electron microscopy was used to study intracellular changes in the dorsal hippocampus, lateral hypothalamic nucleus and pontine reticular formation of rats after 96-hour paradoxical sleep deprivation. It was found that compensative-accommodative processes predominate in the majority of neurons. At the same time destructive changes are detected in some cells. In changed neurons the ultrastructural signs of damage to protein-synthesizing apparatus were observed. These changes can be as a result of disturbances of protein biosynthesis.     

Correlation of the destructive and reparative processes in neurons of the cerebral cortex in rats after thermal injury

Rat brain sensorimotor cortical neurons were investigated in thermal trauma, using electron microscopic radioautography. RNA synthesis and destructive neuronal changes (chromatolysis, nuclear and mitochondrial damage) have been determined. It has been established that the development of a reparative process--ribosomal RNA synthesis--was roughly parallel to the appearance of destructive changes and was marked in neurons with considerable ultrastructural disturbances.     

Histological characteristics of the reactions of cerebral neuroglia in laboratory animals

Literature data and the authors' results, concerning structural and functional peculiarities of all varieties of the cerebral neuroglia under effect of a cranial-cerebral trauma, neurotropic chemical products and oxygen insufficiency have been considered. Ideas that neuroglial reactions under the conditions mentioned are proved to be constant and in dependence of certain peculiarities of each case are either progressive or regressive. The reaction degree is mainly proportional to the disturbance power. Nevertheless, certain discrepancies (ariactivity including) can be observed; this is also determined by a combination of prerequisites and by a peculiarity of individual reactivity of the CNS. The greatest stability of astroglia has been stated. Possible variations in relation between changes of neurons and gliocytes are mentioned. Suggestions are made that diffuse-focal progressive reactions of macroglia under conditions of neurotoxicoses can be determined not by proliferation of cells, but by their migration.     

电磁脉冲辐照大鼠海马区细胞凋亡与形态学变化

以体外原代培养的大鼠海马神经元和Wistar大鼠为研究对象,探讨电磁脉冲(场强为6× 104 V/m)辐照后早期海马区细胞凋亡和病理形态学的变化.在照射后1h、6h、12h、24h和48h分别采用MTT法和流式细胞仪测定死亡细胞和凋亡细胞的比例,用光镜和电镜分别进行形态学观察.结果显示在电磁脉冲辐照后,海马神经细胞不仅发生快速的坏死,而且还发生凋亡,同时在早期即可见到血管、胶质细胞和神经元等组织的形态学异常.表明大鼠大脑受电磁脉冲辐照后早期海马区可发生神经细胞坏死和凋亡,以及各组织成分的病理形态学改变,上述变化可能与电磁脉冲致细胞DNA损伤有关.     

Responses of neurons of intramural ganglia of the guinea pig pancreas to disruption of their connections with the CNS

Morphologic and morphometric investigation of the intramural nervous apparatus of the pancreas has been performed on guinea pigs, normal and after subdiaphragmal vagotomy in 7, 14 and 60 days. According to the morphologic state, the neurons are divided into 8 groups. Morphometry of the perikaryon and nuclei is carried out after Stefanov method. The confidence interval is estimated according to Strelkov tables. In the experimental animals, during the time of the investigation certain quantitative redistributions of the neurons according to their groups are revealed. On the 7th day amount of neurons with phenomena of swelling and chromatolysis, and in two weeks amount of atrophied cells increase. The size of the neurons, after their increase on the 7th day of the experiment, decreases on the 14th day. By this time size of the nuclei decreases, too. On the 60th day after vagotomy morphometric parameters approach those of the control animals. The data of the investigation make it possible to distinguish 3 phases in development of the morphofunctional changes in the neurons: changes connected with functional strain of cells (in 7 days), destructive changes (in 14 days), compensatory-restorative rearrangements (in 60 days). It is possible to conclude that dynamics of morphofunctional rearrangements of neurons under the conditions, when connection with the CNS is disturbed, obey general regularities of the neurodistrophic process in the organs at their disturbed innervation.     

Morphological restructuring of the cellular elements of the ventral tegmental area in selective damage to the catecholaminergic systems of the brain

Electron microscopical investigation of the ventral tegmental area at various time after administration of a specific neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine made it possible not only to reveal catecholamine reactive elements, but also those structural reorganizations in them, that are dependent on the lesion of the catecholaminergic systems, including certain changes in the receptor apparatus. Dark neurons with the change of different organelles preserve for a long time, up to 2.5 months. Reactive and destructive reorganizations of some axons, terminal buttons and postsynaptic poles of the ventral tegmental area are accompanied with certain functional disturbances, observed both experimentally and at a pathological process. The results of the work demonstrate that under conditions of the model experiments there is a possibility to study various stages of pathogenesis of a number of nervous-psychical diseases, connected or accompanied with disorders in certain mediator systems.     

Ultrastructure of nodose ganglia of the vagus nerve in burns

Ultrastructural changes of neurons of vagus nodal ganglia on section material of 30 dead persons in different periods of burn disease aged from 14 to 75 have been studied. Examination of the state of the nodal ganglia in different periods of burn disease showed ultrastructural changes in neurons, glial cells, blood capillary endotheliocytes, mitochondria, endoplasmatic net nuclei and cell membranes. The most marked destructive changes were seen in patients who died in late term of burn disease.     

Biochemical and morphological changes in the neuroglia in experimental herpetic encephalitis

The complex virological, biochemical and morphological study permitted to obtain various characteristics of mice herpes encephalitis. The reaction of astrocyte glia at different stages of herpes encephalitis was revealed and analyzed in detail. New data on the dynamics of desoxyribonuclease activity changes in neuroglia and the glial complex formation were obtained. It was shown that the increased DNA-ase activity in neuroglia and the astrocyte activation which morphological manifestation was the formation of glial complexes, may be referred to as processes dealing with barrier and elimination neuroglia functions in herpes encephalitis. The results presented allows to suppose that the severity of the development and outcome of herpes encephalitis mainly depends on the astrocyte glia condition, its potential abilities in appearing of barrier and eliminative functions.     

Ultrastructure of the cerebral cortex of the cat in the early recovery period after short-term anoxia

The ultrastructure of cat sensomotor cortex has been studied during a 15-minute recovery after 2.5-6-minute oxygen supply cessation. An increase of osmopholia of free and endoplasmic reticulum bound ribosomes was detected in addition to a great number of altered mitochondria with longitudinal crystal arrangement. Besides, numerous activated synapses, local destructive changes of membrane complexes in dendrite and myelinated axons cytoplasm and glycogen granule accumulation in neuroglia were noticed. During the recovery period more prominent changes were shown after a 6-minute anoxia than after a 2.5-minute one.     

RNA concentration in neuron-neuroglia systems of the retina and visual zones of the cerebral cortex during light deprivation and light stimulation]

A two-wave-length cytophotometry of the gallocyanin-chromium alum-stained preparations showed that in adult rats kept for 30 days in complete darkness there was a decrease in the RNA content in the perineuronal neuroglia of the retinal ganglion cell layer only, with no changes in the corresponding neurons. No changes were found in the neurons and in the perineuronal glia of the layer II---III of the visual cerebral cortex. After the end of light deprivation a 2-hour stimulation with a constant or flickering light did not influence the RNA content in the neurons of both regions of the visual analyzer studied, whereas in control rats this stimulation induced a marked increase in the RNA content in these neurons. Qualitative changes in the metabolism of the cellular RNA in the nervous system of adult animals under the effect of light deprivation are emphasized. Differences in the biochemical peculiarities of various neuron-neuroglia systems, depending on their localization in the visual analyzer, are discussed.     

Nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA in visual cortex neurons of adult rats following visual deprivation and photic stimulation

It has been shown by two-wavelength cytospectrophotometry of gallocyanin-chrome alum-stained sections that visual deprivation in adult rats kept in a complete darkness for 30 days resulted in an accumulation of cytoplasmic RNA by layer V neurons of the visual cerebral cortex and by the cells of the perineuronal neuroglia of this layer. The nuclear RNA content remained unchanged. Stimulation of intact rats with a flickering or constant light induced an increase in the cytoplasmic RNA in these neurons rather than in the nuclear RNA as well as in RNA in their glial satellite cells. Similar light stimulation of the deprived animals gave rise to a complete return of the neuronal RNA to normal with only a slight decrease in the deprivation-induced RNA accumulation by the neuroglial cells. Neither visual deprivation nor light stimulation affected the RNA content in the neurons and neuroglia of layer V of the motor cerebral cortex. Compartmentation of RNA metabolism within the neuronal-neuroglial unit is discussed.     

State of the contractile apparatus during the development of a pathological process in the muscles. II. The effect of Ca2+ on the morphology of spreading necrosis caused by UV light]

Using phase-contrast technique and electron microscopy, a study was made of morphological changes of contractile system of striated muscle fibre during the spreading necrosis caused by ultraviolet light damage. It has been shown that the degree of manifestation of destructive changes in the contractile system depends upon Ca2+-ion concentration. The ultrastructural study of the damage region, under condition of muscle fibre stretching, made it possible to reveal the initial stages of formation of this pathological process. A possible contribution of intracellular membranous structures in spreading the destructive process along the muscle fibre is discussed.