Summary
Rats were exposed to 6.1 bar (abs.) air for 90 min and subsequently decompressed to the ambient pressure. After a decompression rate of 6.8 bar/min pial veins and superior sagittal sinuses were found to contain gas bubbles; no intravascular bubbles were observed subsequent to a decompression rate of 1.5 bar/min. Under the electron microscope platelet aggregates were observed at both the electron-dense layer of the blood-bubble interface and in pial veins with no bubbles. It is concluded that during decompression sickness bubbles and both activation and aggregation of platelets occur in intracranial veins. Subsequent venous congestion may contribute to the neuronal lesions and symptoms of acute decompression sickness.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beyer DL, D'Aoust BG, Smith LS (1976) Decompression-induced bubble formation in salmonids: comparison to gas bubble disease. Undersea Biomed Res 3:321–338
Bove AA, Hallenbeck JM, Elliott DH (1974) Circulatory responses to venous air embolism and decompression sickness in dogs. Undersea Biomed Res 1:207–220
Buckles RG (1968) The physics of bubble formation and growth. Aerospace Med 39:1062–1069
Chryssanthou C, Springer M, Lipschitz S (1977) Blood-brain and blood-lung barrier alteration by dysbaric exposure. Undersea Biomed Res 4:117–129
Dutton RC, Webber AJ, Johnson SA, Baier RE (1969) Microstructure of initial thrombus formation on foreign materials. J Biomed Mater Res 3:13–23
Forrest JB (1977) A quantitative morphological study of early platelet aggregation in rabbit lungs. Microvasc Res 4:111–129
Hallenbeck JM, Bove AA, Elliott DH (1975) Mechanisms underlying spinal cord damage in decompression sickness. Neurology 25:308–316
Hallenbeck JM (1976) Cinephotomicrography of dog spinal vessels during cord-damaging decompression sickness. Neurology 26:190–199
Heimbecker RO, Lemire G, Chen CH, Koven I, Leask D, Drucker WR (1968) Role of gas embolism in decompression sickness — a new look at “the bends”. Surgery 64:264–272
Hills BA, Butler BD (1978) Mechanism of CNS symptoms: the lung as a bubble trap (Abstract). Undersea Biomed Res [Suppl] 5:41
Hills BA, James PB (1981) Mechanism of spinal decompression sickness: mechanics of the cord (Abstract). Undersea Biomed Res [Suppl] 8:45
Hoving T (1974) The ultrastructural basis of platelet function. In: Baldini MG, Ebbe S (eds) Platelets: production, function, transfusion, and storage. Grune and Stratton, New York, pp 221–233
James PB, Hills BA (1981) Mechanisms in spinal cord decompression sickness: clinical features (Abstract). Undersea Biomed Res [Suppl] 8:45
Kety SS (1960) The cerebral circulation. In: Field J (ed) Handbook of physiology. American Physiology Society, Washington, DC, p 1751
Lehto VP, Laitinen LA (1979) Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the blood-bubble interface in decompressed rats. Aviat Space Environ Med 50:803–807
Lehto VP, Kantola I, Tervo T, Laitinen LA (1981) Ruthenium red staining of blood-bubble interface in acute decompression sickness in rat. Undersea Biomed Res 8:101–111
Mustard JF, Packham MA (1970) Factors influencing platelet function: adhesion, release and aggregation. Pharmacol Rev 22:98–187
Palmer AC, Blakemore WF, Payne JE, Sillence A (1978) Decompression sickness in the goat: nature of brain and spinal cord lesions at 48 hours. Undersea Biomed Res 5:275–286
Peters BH, Harvey SL, Patrick JK (1977) Neurologic and psychologic manifestations of decompression illness in divers. Neurology 27:125–127
Philp RB, Gowdey CW, Prasad M (1967) Changes in blood lipid concentration and cell counts following decompression sickness in rats and the influence of diatery lipid. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 45:1047–1059
Philp RB, Schacham P, Gowdey CW (1971) Involvement of platelets and microthrombi in experimental decompression sickness: similarities with disseminated intravascular coagulation. Aerospace Med 42:494–502
Philp RB, Inwood MJ, Warren BA (1972) Interactions between gas bubbles and components of the blood: implications in decompression sickness. Aerospace Med 43:946–953
Philp RB (1974) A review of blood changes associated with compression-decompression: relationship to decompression sickness. Undersea Biomed Res 1:117–150
Scarborough DE, Mason RG, Dalldorf FG, Brinkhous KM (1969) Morphologic manifestations of blood-solid interfacial reactions — a scanning and transmission electron-microscopic study. Lab Invest 20:164–169
Spencer MP, Oyama Y (1971) Pulmonary capacity for dissipation of venous gas emboli. Aerospace Med 42:822–827
Spencer MP, Powell MR (1977) The ethiology of convulsions after hyperbaric exposures (Abstract). Undersea Biomed Res 4:A 23
Strauss RH, Prockop LD (1973) Decompression sickness among scuba divers. JAMA 223:637–640
Strauss RH (1979) Diving medicine. Am Rev Resp Dis 119:1001–1023
Tervo T, Lehtosalo J, Lehto VP, Heino M, Kantola I, Laitinen LA (1980) Permeability changes in cerebral, iridic and retinal vessels during experimental decompression sickness in the rat. Aviat Space Environ Med 5:137–141
Wagner CE (1945) Observations of gas bubbles in pial veins of cats following rapid decompression from high pressure atmospheres. J Neurophysiol 8:29–32
Warren BA, Philp RB, Inwood MJ (1973) The ultrastructural morphology of air embolism: platelet adhesion to the interface and endothelial damage. Br J Exp Pathol 54:163–172
White JG, Gerrard JM (1978) Platelet morphology and ultrastructure of regulatory mechanism involved in platelet activation. In: Gaetano G, Garratini S (eds) Platelets: a multidisciplinary approach. Raven Press, New York, p 22
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by a grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lehtosalo, J., Tervo, T. & Laitinen, L.A. Bubbles and hematologic alterations in intracranial veins during experimental decompression sickness. Acta Neuropathol 59, 139–144 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691600
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691600