[Structural and histochemical changes in rat parietal cerebral cortex neurons subjected to biliary drainage]

The aim of this study was the estimation of structural and metabolic changes in the rat parietal cortical neurons during complete external biliary removal. Quantitative histological, histochemical and electron microscopic methods were used. Biliary drainage was found to result in the progressive increase of the number of hyperchromic, shrunken neurons and ghost cells, cell death and the reduction of the number of neurons, with the increase of the glial cell number in all layers of parietal cortex. Gradual decrease of size, loss of sphericity and elongation of neurons were also recordered. In neuronal cytoplasm, the activity of succinate, NADH, NADPH and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases, as well as RNA content were decreased, while lactate dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities were increased. Partial destruction of the nucleus and organelles (mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex) was also observed, accompanied by the increase in lysosomal number and size, activation of nuclear apparatus and the increase in relative amount of free ribosomes. Thus, the loss of bile by the organism lead to the progressive structural and metabolic disturbances in parietal cerebral cortex neurons, that resulted in the death of some of these cells and compensatory changes in the others.