Original Article Stability and Autolysis of Cortical Neurons in Post-Mortem Adult Rat Brains
Sergey V. Sheleg, Janine R. LoBello, Hugh Hixon, Stephen W. Coons, David Lowry and Mikhail K. Nedzved
Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ 85260; Pathology Department, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287; Pathology Department, Minsk State Medical School, Minsk, Republic of Belarus
Received 31 July 2007; accepted and available online 1 January 2008
Abstract: We investigated the dynamics of autolytic damage of the cortical neurons in adult brains for 24 hours at room temperature (+20ºC) after cardiac arrest. The progressive histological and ultrastructural changes were documented using routine and immunohistochemical staining as well as electron microscopy. Our results demonstrated that there were no autolytic damages in the ultrastructure of cerebral neurons in the first 6 hours after warm cardiac arrest, in agreement with previous studies in other mammals. Interestingly, the activation of caspase-3 was observed in a significant number of neurons of the cerebellum and neocortex 9 hours following cardiac arrest. No significant changes related to autolysis were observed using amnio-cupric acid and Nissl (thionine) staining. (IJCEP707005).