Search results for "Cytotoxic edema"

Mechanisms of Cell-Volume Regulation in the Central Nervous System

2017

Function and viability of every cell is dependent on the proper control of its shape and volume. In the brain, which is protected by a rigid outer shell, cell-volume regulation is of particular importance, since large volume changes affect cerebral perfusion and, hence, function. Neuronal activation leads to constant changes of the ionic and metabolic composition of the brain’s extracellular space. These changes are buffered by astrocytes on the expense of constant changes in cell volume. Under pathological conditions, the ability of astrocytes to maintain the homeostasis of the brain is overwhelmed and permanent cell swelling, cytotoxic edema, occurs. The current chapter describes the prin…