TRANSIENT ACIDOSIS INDUCES DELAYED NEUROTOXICITY IN CULTURED HIPPOCAMPAL SLICES

It remains unknown if tissue acidosis contributes to neuronal loss dur ing cerebral ischemia. We report that brief intracellular acidificatio n (pH 6.62) results in delayed neuronal loss in cultured hippocampal s lices. Cell loss was located primarily in stratum pyramidale and the h ilus suggesting that neurons were preferentially damaged. Removal of m olecular oxygen greatly attenuated cell loss suggesting that generatio n of reactive oxygen species may underlie acidosis-induced toxicity. T hese data suggest that acidosis and incomplete anoxia contributes to t he delayed neuronal loss in the ischemic penumbra.