[Changes in the volumetric density of the hypothalamic neurons of rats under long-term immobilization-pain stress]

In the experiments on albino male rats histological and stereological alterations of hypothalamic neurones were studied during long-tern immobilization-pain stress. It was shown, that dissimilar qualitative and quantitative neuronal changes arise in the rat hypothalamus. Significant decrease in neuronal volume density, which is likely to be caused by dystrophy and cell necrosis phenomena, was seen in supraoptic, suprachiasmal, paraventricular, ventral median, dorsal premammillar, supramammillar nuclei and the anterior hypothalamus. Neurones of the ventricular premammillar nucleus were characterized by significant augmentation of volume density, apparently due to cell hypertrophy.