IJCEP Copyright © 2007-All rights reserved.
Int J Clin Exp Pathol 1(3):291-299;2008

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).

Key words: Brain death, autolysis, cerebral hypoxia, cerebral anoxia, apoptosis, caspase-3

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Address all correspondence to: Sergey V. Sheleg, MD, IBPT LLC, Scottsdale, Arizona 85266, Email: Sergey.Sheleg@asu.edu