Cerebral Anoxia: An Improved In Vitro Model for Biochemical Study

Abstract

A previously described in vitro model for cerebral anoxia has been modified to ensure vitality of the rabbit brain slices. The oxygen or nitrogen atmosphere was provided by a continuous gas flow system. Amino acid incorporation into proteins was studied during recovery periods up to 60 minutes. An initial decrease of incorporation and subsequent recovery were observed after an anoxic period of five minutes. On the other hand, a marked decrease and only partial recovery were seen after anoxic periods of 15 minutes or longer. No consistent change was observed in acid-soluble radioactivity. This in vitro model appears to be feasible for various biochemical studies of cerebral anoxia.