脳浮腫の生化学

Biochemical studies on cerebral edema

はじめに

　「浮腫・Oedema」の語源はギリシャ語に由来し，「腫脹・Swelling」を意味するという。既にギリシャ時代から，頭蓋骨複雑骨折の際に，脳の腫脹の起こりやすいことが注目されており，医聖ヒポクラテスは，浮腫脳には水分が貯留していることを認めている。

　脳浮腫の歴史はこのように古く，その間多くの人々の注目を浴びながら研究されてきたが，その発生機序は，今もなお未解決のままいろいろな問題を提起して今日に至っている。

Abstract

Cerebral edemas were produced in rats and cats by either freeze treatment or triethyltin (TET) injection and their metabolic activities were studied. An increase in water and sodium and a decrease in potassium content of white matter, resulting in a sharp rise of Na/K ratio, were observed. In total protein, nucleic acid and lipid contents, no significant changes were observed between normal and edematous brain.

However, the level of proteolipid protein con-tents showed a marked decrease in the white matter and an increase in the gray matter of both cold induced and TET intoxicated edema-tous brains.