The effects of glycerol on cerebral ultrastructure following experimentally induced cerebral ischemia.

Ultrastructural changes in cerebral tissue subjected to temporary occlusion on the right middle cerebral artery for intervals of 30 min, 1, 2, 3, and 4 hr were studied after daily injections of 10% glycerol in saline. These changes were compared with previously reported data from untreated animals. The extent of tissue involvement was appreciably less in the glycerol-treated group as evidenced by the reduction of intracellular edema and fewer changes in the membranes of ultrastructural elements (mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and plasmalemma) known to be essential for cellular metabolism and function in the central nervous system.