Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Perry, Gary W.

Abstract

Astrogliosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of CNS dysfunction as in Alzheimer's Disease or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Investigating astrocytic expression in the brain may provide valuable insights into and/or models of CNS disease or injury. This study was designed to test astrocyte expression and distribution in the mature rat and immature rat and cat brain utilizing different fixatives (aldehyde or ethanol), immunocytochemistry (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP, or vimentin), and lesion conditions in the cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem. Findings include a paucity of GFAP positive astrocytes in most regions of the normal rat brainstem, evidence of astrogliosis in lesions, and the most intense, reactive astrocytes in the 7 day post-lesion condition. The results imply that the rat (brainstem) may make a suitable animal model for investigating the role of hypoxia and astrogliosis in neural trauma such as postulated in SIDS.

Extent

139 p.

Comments

FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1999.|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Identifier

FADT15744

Format

pdf

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