Observations on cerebral ischaemia in cats at injury threshold levels

The potential for recovery of brain tissue subjected to ischaemia at a threshold level of injury was evaluated in cats subjected to 20 min middle cerebral artery occlusion. In addition to assessment of regional cerebral blood flow and water content, the permeability of the bloodbrain barrier and morphological changes detected by light microscopy were studied at various time intervals. Our observations revealed that although a similar reduction of blood flow during arterial occlusion was found both in the caudate nucleus and the cerebral cortex, the reactive hyperaemia was consistently higher in the caudate nucleus than in the cortex. After 24 h the caudate nucleus also revealed a significantly higher water content and increased vascular permeability than the cortex. Morphological observations at 24 h in areas affected by ischaemia showed widespread, marked ischaemic neuronal injury, whereas at 3 d there was, in addition, a vigorous proliferative reaction of vascular elements. Cats sacrificed at 14 d revealed a remarkably good preservation of neurons, both in the caudate nucleus and cortex which otherwise showed a few circumscribed, small, infarcts surrounded by normal nerve cells. Our study suggests that neurons injured at threshold level have a considerable capacity for recovery. Otherwise, with a similar degree of ischaemia, the caudate nucleus appears more prone to increased vascular permeability and oedema than the cerebral cortex.