title: Ultrastructural pathology of Golgi apparatus of nerve cells in human brain edema associated to brain congenital malformations, tumours and trauma.
abstract: The alterations induced by ischemia and anoxia upon smooth endoplasmic membranes are studied in 38 patients with congenital malformations, brain tumours and brain trauma. The effects of vasogenic and cytotoxic brain edema are examined in the Golgi apparatus of nerve and endothelial cells. Samples of cortical biopsies were conventionally processed for transmission electron microscopy. Cortical biopsies were performed according to the basic principles of Helsinki declaration. Slices of 2 to 5 mm were immediately fixed in the surgical room in 4% glutaraldehyde-0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 at 4 degrees C, and postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide in similar buffer. The pathological alterations of the Golgi complex were studied in samples with moderate and severe brain edema. Moderate edema was mainly found in congenital malformations and severe edema in brain trauma and tumours. In some severely edematous neurons, observed in hydrocephalus associated to Arnold-Chiari malformation, small vesicular type Golgi complexes and atrophic ones were observed, characterized mainly by partial or total disappearance of stacked Golgi cisternae and presence of congregated vesicular profiles. In brain trauma and tumours the Golgi complex showed enlargement and fragmentation of the stacked cis- medial- and trans-Golgi cisternae and vacuolization of trans-Golgi network. In addition, an increased formation of Golgi and coated vesicles was observed in the cis- and trans-Golgi regions. Most Golgi and clathrin coated vesicles were observed throughout the cytoplasm suggesting an increased vesicular transport. In severe edema the nerve cell plasma membranes appeared fragmented, presumably due to an interference of the protein insertion process into the plasma membrane. In brain trauma, a hypertrophic Golgi complex was observed in some nerve cells and endothelial cells of cortical capillaries, with increased formation of Golgi and coated vesicles. The ischemia and anoxia associated to the vasogenic and cytotoxic brain edema induced enlargement, fragmentation and disappearance of stacked Golgi cisternae.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Investigations, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. IIB@luz.ve
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Castejón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004727:Endothelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000473:pathology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure*