[Phagocytic role of cortical dendrites in the development of anoxia in the cat].

The ultrastructure of the cat sensorimotor cortex was studied following 2.5 and 6 minutes of anoxia, resp. In the 6 minutes anoxia, the phenomenon of phagocytosis of synaptic buttons by dendrites was elucidated. Under anoxic condition, the newly formed thin dendritic protrusions at synaptic junctions encircle the synaptic buttons like amoeboid pseudopodia. The phenomenon of dendritic phagocytosis was demonstrated in dendrites with a dark cytoplasm only. In the 6 minutes anoxia, a rather large amount of axo-dendritic synapses was observed having the normal ultrastructure.