title: Prolonged exposure to one percent carbon monoxide causes a leucoencephalopathy in un-anaesthetised sheep.
abstract: A total of 15 Levine-prepared adult un-anaesthetised sheep were exposed to 1% carbon monoxide (CO) in air for between 45 and 150 min. This exposure caused a reversible increase in blood carboxyhaemoglobin concentration and heart rate, and a similarly reversible decrease in electroencephalographic frequency and level of consciousness. sheep were either normotensive or slightly hypertensive. Sheep brains were subsequently examined for histopathological changes at either 5 or 14 days post- exposure. No dead neurons or apoptotic cells were seen, but most sheep given a prolonged exposure to CO had some axonal damage and associated gliosis. This damage was concentrated about necrotic micro-foci in the peri-ventricular white matter. These results suggest that a leucoencephalopathy is a primary consequence of acute and sub-acute CO toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. d.gorman@aukland.ac.nz
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005911:Gliosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin