A quantitative light microscopic study of the indusium griseum of the mouse brain following hypoxic stress.

A quantitative study of the indusium griseum was carried out in control mice and in mice subjected to hypoxia at 390 mmHg for 2 days. One group of mice subjected to hypoxia was killed immediately after hypoxia while another group was allowed to recover for 1 week. There was no significant variation in the number of neurons in any of the groups. Neuroglia decreased from a mean number of 1741 +/- 120 in the control animals to 1251 +/- 67 in the hypoxic group and 1223 +/- 51 in the recovery group. It is postulated that this fall occurs mainly in astrocytes because these cells appear to be especially susceptible to the effects of hypoxia.