Changes in glucidic radicals in contused human brains

Changes in carbohydrate metabolism in brain injury and the involvement of numerous glycoproteins in the subsequent restoration phenomena orientated this paper towards reporting on glucidic radical distribution in postinjured brain tissue. Samples from nine patients suffering severe head injuries and three matched controls were studied. Autopsies were performed up to 24 h postmortem; brains were fixed in formalin and samples were taken from contusional, pericontusional and different brain regions including the anterior cingulum and corpus callosum, parasagittal gyrus, putamen, hippocampus and opercular areas embedded in paraffin. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunoreaction with glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and biotin-conjugated lectins (RCA, UEA, PNA, concanavalin A (Con A) and WGA) were used. Contusion and related phenomena such as ischemia induced changes in lectin expression in several elements of the nervous tissue. Endothelial cells of contused areas were positive for RCA, UEA and progressively for WGA and Con A, which could be related to hemorheological disturbances inducing secondary brain damage. Neurons in affected areas were also stained for Con A and UEA, with some processes being delineated. Axonal swellings showed particular affinity to any lectin. Reactive astrocytes displaying only mild staining to WGA in cell bodies were strongly positive for GFAP, showing different patterns of reactivity in the cortex and in white matter.