[Ultrastructural changes induced by a brief period of anoxia in cerebral cortex tissue culture]

Explants of long-term cultures of nervous tissue of the rat cerebral cortex were placed for 30 min in a pure nitrogen atmosphere and then for 3--5 days transferred to the conventional cultivation co conditions. Electron microscope examinations showed that most severe changes occurred in the elements of oligodendroglia in the cytoplasm of which numerous lysosomes, large vacuoles, deposits of glycogen accumulated and myelin figures were formed. The damage of these cells appears to result in the degeneration of myelin sheaths. Edematous changes and glycogen accumulation were prevalent in astrocytes. Alongside with this, neurons had no such severe changes under these treatments. Its is emphasized that the intensity of reproducible oxygen deficiency must be taken into consideration in the evaluation of the sensitivity to anoxia of various nervous tissue elements.