[Regional change of brain energy metabolism and catecholamine in the early stage of experimental cerebral ischemia--histochemical study].

Ischemic change of cerebral energy metabolism and catecholamine have already been discussed largely using biochemical quantitative assay. However, regional change and their correlation are not well understood. In the present study, the ischemic regional change of cerebral energy metabolism and catecholamine were investigated in gerbils and histochemical method. Adult either sex mongolian gerbils, weighing 50-100 g, were anesthetized with ether and the left carotid artery was ligated. After observation of clinical symptoms, the brain was frozen in situ by pouring liquid N2 after 30 min and 60 min of ischemic insult. The frozen brain was sectioned with precooled saw in the coronal plane. The brain section were placed in liquid N2 bath and illuminated with 366 nm light (UV) from a 200 watt mercury lamp and Corning filter 5840. NADH fluorescence was recorded photographically through Corning filter 3387 and 5562. Also UV reflectance was recorded through Corning filter 5840 to observe quenching effect of hemoglobin. Regional change of catecholamine was observed in the same frozen brain processed with Falck-Hillarp method. According to neurological abnormalities following left carotid ligation, animals were divided into three groups; symptomatic, borderline and asymptomatic. The intensity and distribution of tissue NADH fluorescence were closely correlated to the clinical symptoms. In the symptomatic group, both in 30 min and 60 min of ischemia, homogeneously and markedly increased fluorescence was observed in the ipsilateral temporal cortex, caudate nucleus, hypothalamus and dorsolateral thalamus. Columnar mild increase of NADH fluorescence was seen in the ipsilateral parietal cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)