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Acid-induced injury in elasmobranch brain
1Department of Neurology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
Neuroscience Letters
|July 19, 1988
Summary
Elasmobranchs show greater resistance to brain damage from acidosis compared to rats. This resilience may stem from their lower body temperature, offering neuroprotection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Acidosis can cause brain infarction in mammals, potentially due to astroglial acidification.
- Elasmobranch glial responses to injury differ from mammals, suggesting varied acidosis effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the susceptibility of elasmobranch brains to acidosis-induced injury.
- To compare the effects of acidosis on elasmobranch and mammalian brain tissue.
Main Methods:
- Sodium lactate injections into skate (Raja erinacea) cerebella.
- Monitoring of extracellular fluid pH (pH0) during and after injections.
- Histological examination for coagulation necrosis indicating infarction.
Main Results:
- Elasmobranch brains showed necrosis only when pH0 dropped to ≤4.86 for 20 min.
- pH0 recovery post-injection was not impaired in elasmobranchs, unlike in rats.
- Elasmobranchs demonstrated significantly higher resistance to acidosis-induced brain injury.
Conclusions:
- Elasmobranchs are less susceptible to irreversible brain injury from acidosis.
- Lower body temperature in elasmobranchs may contribute to their acidosis resistance.
- Findings suggest distinct mechanisms of neuroprotection against acidosis in elasmobranchs.