Ultrastructural evaluation of the damage of postsynaptic elements after kainic acid injection into the rat neostriatum.

Injury to the nervous tissue was studied in the electron microscope after unilateral stereotaxic injection of kainic acid into the rat striatum. Progressive degeneration of neurons and selective injury of dendritic processes was noted. On the third day of the experiment three types of degeneration of the postsynaptic elements could be distinguished: shrinkage of the dendritic spines and swelling or increase of electron density of the postsynaptic dendrites. Most axonal boutons did not show morphological changes.