Lesion-remote metabolic changes after neocortical cold injury in rats

LESION-REMOTE metabolic changes were examined 1-7 days after neocortical co ld injury using tissue ATP, glucose and lactate bioluminescent imaging, pH- dependent fluoroscopy and cerebral protein synthesis (CPS) autoradiography. One day after lesioning an alkaline DH shift (0.35 +/- 0.19 units above co ntralateral) was noticed in the lesion-remote cortex, the underlying white matter, the striatum, hippocampus and thalamus, which slowly resolved withi n 7 days and probably reflected the spread of vasogenic edema. Closely asso ciated with the pH shift, elevations in tissue glucose and lactate levels w ere found, which reached maximum levels after 3 days (7.4 +/- 2.4 vs 4.2 +/ - 1.2 mu mol/g glucose, 6.6 +/- 2.3 vs 2.1 +/- 0.6 mu mol/g lactate) but, i n contrast to the alkalosis, remained elevated after 1 week. Thus, neocorti cal trauma is associated with long-lasting metabolic changes, which are int imately linked with the distribution of post-traumatic alkalosis. NeuroRepo rt 10:759-763 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.