Skip to main content

Toxic Effects of Elevated Oxygen Tension on Brain Maturation

  • Chapter
Book cover Brain
  • 103 Accesses

Abstract

Because mammalian organisms are uniformly aerobic and dependent for survival on oxidative metabolic processes, the potential toxic effects of oxygen are often neglected. Nevertheless, as with most substances, natural and otherwise, excessive oxygen has deleterious effects in a variety of tissues including those of the nervous system. It has long been known that high concentrations of oxygen at elevated atmospheric pressure produce seizures (Bean, 1954) and neuronal (Balentine, 1968) and retinal ganglion cell necrosis (Margolis & Brown, 1966). Hyperoxia at normal atmospheric pressure is not known to produce pathologic effects in the mature nervous system, but there is evidence that during periods of rapid maturation and development in perinatal life nervous tissues may be particularly susceptible to toxic effects of oxygen.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Altman, J.: Postnatal growth and differentiation of the mammalian brain, with implications for a morphological theory of memory; in Quarton, Melnechuk and Schmitt, The Neurosciences, pp. 723–743 ( Rockefeller University Press, New York 1967 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Altman, J. and Das, G.D.: Autoradiographic and histological evidence of postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis in rats. J. comp. Neurol. 124: 319–336 (1965).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, N., Ward, B. and Serpell, G.: Effect of oxygen on developing retinal vessels with particular reference to the problem of retrolental fibroplasia. Br. J. Ophthal. 38: 397–432 (1954).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balentine, J. D.: Pathogenesis of central nervous system lesions induced by exposure to hyperbaric oxygen. Am. J. Path. 53: 1097–1109 (1968).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bean, J. W.: Effects of oxygen at increased pressure. Physiol. Rev. 25: 1–147 (1945).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brand, M. M. and Bignami, A.: The effects of chronic hypoxia on the neonatal and infantile brain. A neuropathological study of five premature infants with the respiratory distress syndrome treated by prolonged artificial ventilation. Brain 92: 233–254 (1969).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheek, D.B., Graystone, J.E. and Rowe, R.D.: Hypoxia and malnutrition in newborn rats: effects on RNA, DNA, and protein in tissues. Am. J. Physiol. 217: 642–651 (1969).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Enesco, M. and Leblond, C.P.: Increase in cell number as a factor in the growth of the organs and tissues of the young male rat. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 10: 530–562 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fish, I. and Winick, M.: Cellular growth in various regions of the developing rat brain. Pediat. Res. 3: 407–412 (1969).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Genn, M.M. and Silverman, W.A.: The mental development of ex-premature children with retrolental fibroplasia. J. nerv. ment. Dis. 138: 79–86 (1964).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grave, G. D., Kennedy, C. and Sokoloff, L.: Impairment of growth and development of the rat brain by hyperoxia at atmospheric pressure. J. Neurochem. 19: 187–194 (1972).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gyllensten. L.: Influence of oxygen exposure on the postnatal vascularization of the cerebral cortex in mice. Acta morph. neerl.-scand. 2: 289–310 (1959a).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gyllensten, L.: Influence of oxygen exposure on the differentiation of the cerebral cortex in growing mice. Acta morph. neerl.-scand. 2: 311–330 (1959b).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krause, A.C.: Effect of retrolental fibroplasia in children. A.M.A. Arch. Ophthalmology 53: 522–529 (1955).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, G. and Brown, I.W. Jr.: Hyperbaric oxygenation: The eye as a limiting factor. Science 151: 466–468 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patz, A.: The role of oxygen in retrolental fibroplasia. Pediatrics, 19: 504–524 (1957).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Potter, C.T.: The problem of blind children and the responsibilities of the paediatrician. Proc. Royal Soc. Med. 47: 715–720 (1954).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shivers, R. R. and Roofe, P.G.: Cerebral cell population under hypoxia. Anat. Rec. 154: 841–846 (1966).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, C.E.: Retrolental fibroplasia in association with mental defect. Br. J. Ophthal. 42: 549–557 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winick, M.: Changes in nucleic acid and protein content of the human brain during growth. Pediat. Res. 2: 352–355 (1968).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winick, M. and Noble, A.: Cellular response in rats during malnutrition at various ages. J. Nutr. 89: 300–306 (1966).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Samuel R. Berenberg M.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1977 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sokoloff, L. (1977). Toxic Effects of Elevated Oxygen Tension on Brain Maturation. In: Berenberg, S.R. (eds) Brain. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8884-5_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8884-5_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-011-8221-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-8884-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics