ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF RAT BRAIN WITH EXPERIMENTAL SODIUM AZIDE INTOXICATION

Histotoxic hypoxia was experimentally produced in the rat brain by sodium azide intoxication. In spite of the absence of light microscopic alterations, electron micrographs showed the early changes in the cerebral cortex and subcortex which consisted of widening of the intercellular space and swelling of the pericapillary astrocytic end-feet. However, ferritin-albumin mixture, used for the tracer of protein transport, did not show any increase in the capillary permeability. Sodium azide was considered to disturb the water metabolism, producing osmotic unbalance in the brain. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.