Ultrastructural investigation of the CA1 region of the hippocampus after transient cerebral ischemia in gerbils.

Ultrastructural damage leading to delayed neuronal death was investigated in the mid-CA1 region of the hippocampus from the stratum (str.) moleculare to oriens after transient bilateral forebrain ischemia in Mongolian gerbils. After ischemia for 5 min without recirculation, mild swelling of the peripheral part of the apical and basal dendrites was already apparent in the str. moleculare and str. oriens. Mitochondria in the dendrites were also swollen in the same area. During recirculation for 12 h to 3 days, swelling of the dendritic cytoplasm persisted with formation of microvacuoles, but swelling of mitochondria receded. Microvacuolation and loss of microtubules were also observed in the proximal part of the dendrites during this period, and swelling and disruption of internal cristae were observed in mitochondria after recirculation for 3 days. The dendrites became severely degenerated after recirculation for 4 days. In the pyramidal cell bodies, no abnormality was observed at the end of ischemia for 5 min, but disaggregation of polyribosomes and swelling of the endoplasmic reticulum were observed 12 h after recirculation. Proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum in parallel arrays occurred after recirculation for 1 day and persisted. Severe degeneration of the pyramidal cell bodies was obvious after recirculation for 4 days. The findings observed in the present investigation suggested that the neuronal structure most vulnerable to ischemia was the peripheral part of the dendrites and postischemic neuronal damage occurred early in this part of the dendrites.