Acute brain swelling in cerebral embolization model of rats. II: Biochemical study.

To investigate the mechanism of acute brain swelling after cerebral embolism in rats, the authors evaluated the regional changes in tissue pH, ATP, blood-brain barrier function, and water content. The deep cerebrum--thalamus, hypothalamus, and hippocampus--had alkaline change in tissue pH accompanied with the disruption of the blood-brain barrier, decrease of ATP, and increase of water content. The cortex and the caudate putamen, on the other hand, did not show edema though acidic change and ATP decrease were seen. These results suggest that an early vasogenic edema in the deep cerebrum is a main factor for evolving acute brain swelling in this embolization model of rats.