Neuropathological changes induced by total cerebral ischemia (TCI) in a new experimental model

: We describe a new model of human ischemia encephalopathy in rabbits by means of cross-clamping the ascending aorta in combination with blood exsanguination from the right atrium. Rabbit hippocampal CAI pyramidal cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells showed only a few changes in the early period after ischemia, but 4 days after ischemia a significant decrease in cell count and marked degeneration of the remaining cells were observed. When the pathological findings 4 days after TCI in the hippocampal area and cerebellar area were compared, the rate of cytoclasis was found to be significantly higher in the latter than in the former.