Acute reactive mitochondrial changes in incremental hemorrhagic shock in sheep.

Cortical biopsies were performed upon 12 unanesthetized, spontaneously respiring sheep before and immediately after incremental induction of hemorrhagic shock. Electron microscopic study demonstrated mitochondrial swelling due to enlargement of matrix space. This is felt to be a reactive change rather than a lesion. An opinion regarding the significance of mitochondrial changes in hemorrhagic shock and other anoxic-ischemic states is offered.