Ultracytochemical study of capillary Ca2+-ATPase activity in brain edema.

To investigate the functional relationship between astrocytes and Ca2+-ATPase of cerebral capillary endothelial cells (capillary Ca2+-ATPase), cold lesions were produced and the cytochemical reaction (CR) for Ca2+-ATPase activity and morphological changes of astrocytes were chronologically studied. Under normal conditions, CR for capillary Ca2+-ATPase activity was mild. However, at 20 min after the operation, astrocytic end-feet embracing the capillaries were swollen, and CR was moderate. Deposits of slightly coarsened reaction product (RP) appeared and accumulated on the abluminal surface. CR became stronger as edema fluid accumulated. At 4, 7 and 15 days, detachment of the astrocytic processes from the capillary wall was observed and in the uncovered capillaries, CR was intense, especially on the abluminal surface. It could be thus possible that the enzyme was related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). At 2 months, reactive astrocytes had recovered lesion-resistant capillaries. CR was mild and its associated deposits were coarser, the number decreasing on both surfaces. The nature and localization of the deposits of RP in the scar were different from those under normal conditions, possibly due to the functional differences between normal and reactive astrocytes in the BBB. CR was mild in association with astrocytes embracing the capillary wall and was intense without astrocytes. Therefore, it might be possible that astrocytes exerted certain effects on capillary Ca2+-ATPase activity in relation to BBB function.