Chronicity of hyponatremia as a factor in experimental myelinolysis.
A recent analysis of hyponatremic patients disclosed that those who were chronically hyponatremic prior to rapid correction subsequently developed central pontine myelinolysis. To test the view that chronicity of hyponatremia is a factor in myelinolysis, we studied a group of rats that were hyponatremic for 1 day and compared it with another group of animals maintained in a hyponatremic state for 3 days prior to the administration of hypertonic saline solution. The 3-day hyponatremic rats developed more numerous and more severe demyelinative lesions than the 1-day rats. The findings support the view that duration of hyponatremia is a factor in myelinolysis and that the electrolyte disturbance of chronically hyponatremic patients should be corrected cautiously and relatively slowly.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood
D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D012964:Sodium