OBJECTIVE: To observe the chemical groups changing in rat kidney with regard to fatal hyperthermia by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR-MSP) and to provide a new method to diagnose fatal hyperthermia. METHODS: Rats were sacrificed by hyperthermia, brainstem injury, massive hemorrhage and asphyxiation and divided into groups. The renal samples were dissected immediately after death. The data of infrared spectroscopy in glomerulus were measured by FTIR-MSP. RESULTS: The absorbances of 3290, 3070, 2850, 1540 and 1396 cm(-1) significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the ratios of Al650/A3290 and A1650/A1540 significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in group of hyperthermia. CONCLUSION FTIR-MSP can analyze the changes of chemical groups of kidney as an auxiliary diagnosis for discriminating hyperthermia with other causes of death.
Animals ; Fever/mortality* ; Fourier Analysis ; Kidney/metabolism* ; Microspectrophotometry ; Rats ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared/methods*

BACKGOUND: Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can alter the internal milieu and may increase the release of excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters or catecholamines, which may affect metabolic rate or coupling. This study was performed to evaluate whether disruption of BBB by unilateral intracarotid injection of hyperosmolar mannitol would alter oxygen supply/consumption balance in the ipsilateral cortex. METHODS: Rats were anesthetized with 1.4% isoflurane using mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy. 25% mannitol was administered at a rate of 0.25 mlxkg-1s-1 for 30 s through unilateral internal carotid artery. The BBB transfer coefficient (Ki) of 14C-alpha-aminoisobutyric acid was measured in one group (N=7) after administering mannitol. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), regional arterial and venous O2 saturation and O2 consumption were measured in another group using a 14C-iodoantipyrine and microspectrophotometry (N=7). RESULTS: Vital signs were similar before and after administering mannitol. Ki was significantly higher in the ipsilateral cortex (IC) than in the contralateral cortex (CC), (22.3+/-8.4 vs 4.4+/-1.1 microliterxg-1min-1). rCBF was similar between IC (105+/-21 mlxg-1min-1) and the CC (93+/-20). Venous O2 saturation was lower in the IC (43+/-7%) than in the CC (55+/-4). O2 consumption was higher in the IC (9.6+/-3.0 mlx100 g-1min-1) than in the CC (6.7+/-1.5). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that increasing permeability of the BBB increased cerebral O2 consumption and deteriorated cerebral oxygen balance.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier* ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Catecholamines ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; Isoflurane ; Mannitol ; Microspectrophotometry ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Oxygen* ; Permeability ; Rats ; Respiration, Artificial ; Tracheostomy ; Vital Signs

Bockground: Nitric oxide (NO) is an important regulator of blood flow and also works as a neuronal messenger via cyclic GMP. Recent studies regarding the therapeutic utility of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors in reducing ischemia-induced neuronal damage are very controversial. The possible neuroprotective effect of NO or NOS inhibitors in ischemic neuronal damage could occur at the vascular and or neuronal level. This study investigated whether the NOS inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) would alter oxygen balance in ischemic cerebrocortex of isoflurane-anesthetized rats. METHODS: Fifteen minutes after middle cerebral artery occlusion, L-NAME (1.5 mgxmin-1kg-1) was infused intravenously to the L-NAME group (n=14), and normal saline was given to the control group (n=14) for 45 minutes. Regional cerebral blood flow was determined with [14C]iodoantipyrine, and arterial and venous oxygen saturations were determined by microspectrophotometry. RESULTS: Regional cerebral blood flow of the ischemic cortex was significantly lower than that of the contralateral cortex in both groups. In the control group, ischemic cortex; 55+/-13, contralateral cortex; 110+/-29 mlxmin-1100 g-1, and in the L-NAME group, ischemic cortex; 35+/-13, contralateral cortex; 90+/-24 mlxmin-1100 g-1. Compared with the blood flow in the ischemic cortex of the control group, L-NAME significantly reduced ischemic blood flow by 36%. Venous oxygen saturation was significantly increased in the ischemic cortex (41+/-1% in control, 44+/-3% in L-NAME) but decreased in the contralateral cortex (65+/-3% in control, 61+/-3% in L-NAME) by L-NAME. Ischemic cortical oxygen consumption in the L-NAME group was 39% lower than that in the corresponding control group, whereas the difference was only 11% in the contralateral sides between groups. The ratio of oxygen supply to consumption was lower in the ischemic than in the nonischemic regions in both groups. In the ischemic cortex, this ratio was significantly lower in the control group (1.7+/-0.1) than in the L-NAME group (1.9+/-0.1). In contrast, the ratio tended to be decreased by L-NAME in nonischemic regions. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that despite a decrease in cerebral blood flow, inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis mildly improves the oxygen supply and consumption balance in the ischemic cortex.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia* ; Cyclic GMP ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Microspectrophotometry ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide* ; Oxygen Consumption ; Oxygen* ; Rats