[Identification of early irreversible damage area in a rat model of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the early neuron ischemic damage in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion with histostaining methods of argyrophil III (AG III), Toludine blue(TB), and H&E, and to make out the 'separating line' between the areas of reversible and irreversible early ischemic damage.


METHODS
Forty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following groups: pseudo-surgical, blank-control, O2R0(occluded for 2 hours and reperfused for 0 hour), O2R0.5, O2R2, O2R4, O2R24. There were 6 rats in each group. Rats in experimental groups were suffered focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through a nylon suture method. After a special processor for tissue manage, the brain were coronal sectioned and stained with H&E, TB, and AG III. The area where dark neurons dwell in (ischemic core) were calculated with image analysis system.


RESULTS
The success rate of ischemic model for this experiment is 90%. After being stained with argyrophil III method, normal neurons appear yellow or pale brown, which is hardly distinguished from the pale brown background. The ischemic neuron stained black, and has collapsed body and "corkscrew-like" axon or dentries, which were broken to some extent. The neuropil in the dark neurons dwelt area appears gray or pale black, which is apparently different from the pale brown neighborhood area. The distribution of dark neurons in cortex varies according to different layers, and has a character of columnar form. The dark neurons present as early as 2 hours ischemia without reperfusion with AG III method.


CONCLUSIONS
AG III stain could selectively display early ischemic neurons, the area dwelt by dark neurons represent early ischemic core. Dark neuron is possibly the irreversibly damaged neuron. Identification of dark neurons could be helpful in the discrimination between early ischemic center and penumbra.
Liu
S
S
Department of Neurology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS, PUMC, Beijing 100730, China. liushimin@263.net
Guo
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D016622:Silver Staining; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors