Phospholipid composition in spinal cord regions after ischemia/reperfusion.

Ischemia-reperfusion induced changes in concentration of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and sphingomyelin (SM) in the gray matter taken in toto, white matter, dorsal horns, intermediate zone and ventral horns of the rabbit's spinal cord were studied and compared with neurohistopathological changes. With the exception of PI concentration in the dorsal horns, ischemia of 25 min caused significant degradation of all phospholipids. While short-lasting recirculation (1 h) did not returned the levels of phospholipids to control values, postischemic recirculation for 3 h sharply increased the resynthesis of all phospholipids, but only the concentration of PE, PS, and PI in the dorsal horns and PC in the intermediate zone significantly improved and returned close to control values. Corresponding neurohistopathological changes resulting after the same reperfusion periods are given.