Summary
A method is presented by which density measurements can be performed on samples from cerebral cortex and white matter of normal and intoxicated animals using nontoxic ingredients as an alternative to the bromobenzene-kerosene technique described by Nelson et al. (1971). A continuous density gradient is prepared in a calibrated glass cylinder by using a new product. Percoll, which consists of colloidal silica particles coated with polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The gradient is stable and the same column can be used for repeated experiments over a long period of time. Interactions between the gradient media and the samples are evaluated and various methodological aspects concerning removal and handling of the tissue samples are presented. Experiments with acute triethyltin (TET) intoxication in the mouse and the hamster show that the Percoll technique can be used as an alternative to the bromobenzene-kerosene method in quantitative studies on cytotoxic brain edema.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Åkerström G, Pertoft H, Grimelius L, Johansson H (1979) Density determinations of human parathyroid glands by density gradients. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A 87:91–96
Bakay L (1965) Morphological and chemical studies on cerebral edema: Triethyltin-induced edema. J Neurol Sci 2:52–67
Ferszt T, Hahn H, Cervós-Navarro J (1980) Measurement of the specific gravity of the brain as a tool in brain edema research. In: Cervós-Navarro J, Ferszt R (eds) Brain edema. Advances in neurology, vol 28. Raven Press, New York
Fujimoto T, Walker JT, Spatz M, Klatzo I (1976) Pathophysiologic aspects of ischemic edema. In: Pappius HM, Feindel W (eds) Dynamics of brain edema. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 171–180
Graham RC, Karnovsky MJ (1966) The early stages of absorption of injected horseradish peroxidase in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney: Ultrastructural cytochemistry by a new technique. J Histochem Cytochem 14:291–302
Iannotti F, Corckard A, Ladds G, Synnon L (1981) Are prostaglandins involved in experimental ischemic edema in gerbils? Stroke 12:301–306
Jacobs JM, Cremer JE, Cavanagh JB (1977) Acute effects of triethyltin on the rat myelin sheath. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 3:169–181
Johansson B, Linder L-E (1981) Hypertension and brain edema: an experimental study on acute and chronic hypertension in the rat. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 44:402–406
Klatzo I (1967) Presidential address: Neuropathological aspects of brain edema. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 26:1–14
Klatzo I (1979) Cerebral edema and ischemia. Rec Adv Neuropathol 1:27–41
Laurent TC, Pertoft H, Nordli O (1980) Physical chemical characterization of Percoll. J Colloid Interf Sci 76:124–132
Leow ACT, Anderson R McD, Little RA, Leaver DD (1979) A sequential study of changes in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of the rat following triethyltin poisoning. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 47:117–121
Lowry OH, Hunter TH (1945) The determination of serum protein concentration with a gradient tube. J Biol Chem 159:465–474
Malmgren LT, Olsson Y (1980) Differences between the peripheral and the central nervous system in permeability to sodium fluorescein. J Comp Neurol 191:103–119
Marmarou A, Poll W, Shulman K, Bha-avan H (1978) A simple gravimetric technique for measurement of cerebral edema. J Neurosurg 49:530–537
Nelson SR, Mantz M-L, Maxwell JA (1971) Use of specific gravity in the measurement of cerebral edema. J Appl Physiol 30:268–271
Nelson SR (1974) Effect of drugs on experimental brain edema in mice. J Neurosurg 41:193–199
Oliver RL, Kinnear AJ, Gant GG (1981) Measurements of cell density of three freshwater phytoplankters by density gradient centrifugation. Limnol Oceanogr 26:285–294
Olsson Y, Kristensson K (1979) Recent applications of tracer techniques to neuropathology, with particular reference to vascular permeability and axonal flow. Adv Neuropathol 1:1–26
Oster G, Yamamoto M (1963) Density gradient techniques. Chem Rev 63:257–268
Pertoft H, Laurent TC, Låås T, Kågedal L (1978) Density gradients prepared from colloidal silica particles coated by polyvinylpyrrolidone (Percoll). Anal Biochem 88:271–282
Richardson JA, Pratt-Thomas HR (1951) Toxic effects of varying doses of kerosene administered by different routs. Am J Med Sci 221:531–539
Steinwall O, Klatzo J (1966) Selective vulnerability of the blood-brain barrier in chemically induced lesions. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 25:542–559
Takagi H, Shapiro K, Marmarou A, Wisoff H (1981) Microgravimeteric analysis of human brain tissue. J Neurosurg 54:797–801
Torack RM, Alcala H, Gado M (1976) Water, specific gravity and histology as determinants of diagnostic computerized cranial tomography (CCT). In: Pappius HM, Feindel W (eds) Dynamics of brain edema. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 271–277
Tornheim PA (1980) Use of a vapour pressure osmometer to measure brain osmolality. J Neurosci Meth 3:21–35
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council, projects (12X-03020), (13X-4) and Trygg-Hansa
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tengvar, C., Forssén, M., Hultström, D. et al. Measurement of edema in the nervous system. Acta Neuropathol 57, 143–150 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685382
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685382