Bioenergetics of acute vasogenic edema.

The bioenergetic mechanisms of vasogenic edema were studied by measuring concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (CrP), and lactate in rapidly frozen edematous white matter in cats. When edema was produced using a cold lesion, it was found that both ATP and CrP were reduced to one-half of control values, and that lactate was elevated. When a correction was applied for dilution, however, it was found that high-energy phosphates were equal to control values, and that lactate was even more significantly elevated. This pattern contrasted with that seen in white-matter ischemia, in which CrP is depressed out of proportion to ATP. Finally, it was found that the white-matter lactate-concentration in the plasma infusion model of edema was increased. It is concluded that vasogenic edema induces an increase in lactate, but does not deplete high-energy phosphate compounds in affected white matter.