Brain metabolic responses to ischemia in the mongolian gerbil: in vivo and freeze trapped redox scanning.

The interrelation between the metabolic responses to ischemia and seizure propensity was studied in two groups of seizure prone (SP) and non-seizure prone (NSP) gerbils. The metabolic state was evaluated in vivo using the light guide surface fluorometry as well as in the frozen brain scanned at liquid N2 temperature for Fp/PN ratio after monitoring the brain in vivo. The results could be summarized as follows. (1) Unilateral carotid artery occlusion led to partial ischemia in the ipsilateral hemisphere while the contralateral hemisphere remained normoxic. (2) Animal variability in the degree of the ischemia insult due to unilateral occlusion was not side dependent or in correlation with seizure propensity. (3) Significant correlation was found between the NADH increase during ischemia and the redox state measurements done in the same brain after funnel freezing with liquid nitrogen. (4) In a large number of the gerbils (not depending on the origin or strain) a peculiar inter-hemispheric blood supply connection was found. A narrow band (1 mm in width) of tissue near the midline obtained its blood via the same vessels supplying the contralateral hemisphere. (5) We did not find any correlation between blood vessel anatomy to the brain and seizure propensity.