Summary
An enzyme-histochemical technique was used to examine the changes in cytochrome oxidase activity during acute focal ischaemia in the rat. In the somatosensory cortex, the enzyme activity began to increase significantly (p < 0.01) 1 hour after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and continued to increase up to 3 hours, during which ischaemic cell damage was not detected. In the striatum, the enzyme activity increased significantly (p < 0.01) 1 hour after MCAO in the absence of morphological evidence of ischaemic cell damage; a peak activity was reached at 2 hours, and began to decline 3 hours after MCAO when moderate ischaemic change was detected. In both cortical and subcortical areas, the enzyme activity tended to decrease from 4 hours after MCAO, and was reduced to a level similar to or below that of the non-ischaemic hemisphere 5 hours after MCAO, when severe ischaemic damage was demonstrated. The relation of this transient increase of cytochrome oxidase activity in the early stage of acute ischaemia and the hypermetabolism of neuronal cells during ischaemic insult was discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aoki C, Milner TA, Berger SB, Sheu KFR, Blass JP, Pickel VM (1987) Glial glutamate dehydrogenase: ultrastructural localization and regional distribution in relation to the mitochondrial enzyme, cytochrome oxidase. J Neurosci Res 18: 305–318
Clark JB, Nicklas WJ (1970) The metabolism of rat brain mitochondria. Preparation and characterization. J Biol Chem 245: 4724–4731
Dagani F, Marzatico F, Curti D, Zanada F, Benzi G (1984) Effect of prolonged and intermittent hypoxia on some cerebral enzymatic activities related to energy transduction. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 4: 615–624
Darriet D, Der T, Collins RC (1986) Distribution of cytochrome oxidase in rat brain studies with diaminobenzidine histochemistry in vitro and [14C] cyanide tissue labelling in vivo. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 6: 8–14
Dimlich RVW, Showers MJ, Shipley MT (1990) Densitometric analysis of cytochrome oxidase in ischemie rat brain. Brain Res 516: 181–191
Duckrow RB, LaManna JC, Rosenthal M (1981) Direct electrical stimulation of the cerebral cortex suggests that vascular as well as metabolic factors determine the oxidative response. Neuroscience Abs 7: 787
Farooqui AA, Horrocks LA (1991) Excitatory amino acid receptors, neural membrane phospholipid metabolism and neurological disorders. Brain Res Rev 16: 171–191
Fridovich I, Handler P, Xanthine oxidase (1962) V. Differential inhibition of the reduction of various electron acceptors. J Biol Chem 237: 916–920
Ginsberg MD, Mela L, Wrobel-Kuhl W, Reivich M (1977) Mitochondrial metabolism following bilateral cerebral ischemia in the gerbil. Ann Neurol 1: 519–527
Hamberger A, Hyden H (1963) Inverse enzymatic changes in neurons and glia during increased function and hypoxia. J Biol Chem 16: 521–525
Hillered L (1986) Mechanisms of mitochondrial damage in brain ischemia. In: Fiskum G (ed.), Mitochondrial physiology and pathology. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, pp 120–146
Kageyama GH, Wong-Riley MTT (1982) Histochemical localization of cytochrome oxidase in the hippocampus: correlation with specific neuronal types and afferent pathways. Neuroscience 7: 2337–2361
McCord JM, Fridovich I (1986) The reduction of cytochrome C by milk xanthine oxidase. J Biol Chem 243: 5753–5760
Nakahara I, Kikuchi H, Taki W, Nishi S, Kito M, Yonekawa Y, Goto Y, Ogata N (1991) Degradation of mitochondrial phospholipids during experimental cerebral ischemia in rats. J Neurochem 57: 839–844
Ozawa K, Seta K, Araki H, Handa H (1967) The effect of ischemia on mitochondrial metabolism. J Biochem 61: 512–514
Rehncrona S, Mela L, Siesjo BK (1979) Recovery of brain mitochondrial function in the rat after complete and incomplete cerebral ischemia. Stroke 10: 437–446
Ribak CE (1981) The histochemical localization of cytochrome oxidase in the dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus. Brain Res 212: 169–174
Siesjo BK (1981) Cell damage in the brain a speculative synthase. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 1: 155–185
Siesjo BK (1984) Cerebral circulation and metabolism. J Neurosurg 60: 883–908
Siesjo BK, Agardh CD, Bengtsson F (1989) Free radicals and brain damage. Cerebrovasc Brain Metab Rev 1: 165–211
Smialek M, Hamberger A (1970) The effect of moderate hypoxia and ischemia on cytochrome oxidase activity and protein synthesis in brain mitochondria. Brain Res 17: 369–371
Takeuchi Y, Morii H, Tamura M, Hayashi O, Watanabe Y (1991) A possible mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction during cerebral ischemia: inhibition of mitochondrial respiration activity by arachidonic acid. Arch Biochem Biophys 289: 3–38
Tamura A, Graham DI, McCulloch J, Teasdale GM (1981) Focal cerebral ischemia in the rat: 1. Description of technique and early neurological consequences following middle cerebral artery occlusion. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 1: 53–60
Vandeplassche G, Hermans C, Thone F, Borgers M (1991) Stunned myocardium has increased mitochondrial NADH oxidase and ATP ase activities. Cardioscience 2: 47–53
Wagner KR, Kleinholz M, Myers E (1990) Delayed onset of neurologic deterioration following anoxia/ischemia coincides with appearance of impaired brain mitochondrial respiration and decreased cytochrome oxidase activity. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 10: 417–423
Wong-Riley MTT (1976) Endogenous peroxidatic activity in brain stem neurons as demonstrated by their staining with diaminobenzidine in normal squirrel monkeys. Brain Res 108: 257–277
Wong-Riley MTT, Merzenich MM, Leak PA (1978) Changes in endogeneous enzymatic reactivity to DAB induced by neuronal inactivity. Brain Res 141: 185–192
Wong-Riley MTT (1978) Changes in the visual system of monocularly sutured or enucleated cats demonstrable with the cytochrome oxidase technique. Anat Rec 190: 586
Wong-Riley MTT (1979) Changes in the visual system of monocularly sutured or enucleated cats demonstrable with cytochrome oxidase histochemistry. Brain Res 171: 11–28
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Inoue, N., Goto, S., Korematsu, K. et al. Cytochrome oxidase activity during acute focal ischaemia in rat brain. Acta neurochir 138, 1126–1131 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01412318
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01412318