Brain monoamines in human cerebral infarcts. A preliminary study.

Dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindole acetic aced (5-HIAA) were assayed spectrofluorometrically in various brain regions of 8 human patients who died after acute and old cerebral infarction. In both recent and older infarct a total depletion of DA and 5-HT was associated with slight reduction of DA and 5-HT levels in remote nonischemic areas and various nuclei of both the injured and contralateral hemispheres. 5-HIAA was significantly reduced in acute ischemic necrosis, while the perifocal edema zone showed considerable accumulation of both 5-HT and 5-HIAA. The degradation zone surrounding old infarcts showed a mild decrease of both 5-HT and 5-HIAA, indicating normalization of K-HT metabolism and turnover after decrease of cerebral edema. These preliminary data which confirm previous findings in experimental cerebral ischemia and infarct indicate that disorders of brain monoamine metabolism are contributing to the development of postischemic brain damage and the complicating cerebral edema.