[Histological characteristics of the reactions of cerebral neuroglia in laboratory animals].

Literature data and the authors' results, concerning structural and functional peculiarities of all varieties of the cerebral neuroglia under effect of a cranial-cerebral trauma, neurotropic chemical products and oxygen insufficiency have been considered. Ideas that neuroglial reactions under the conditions mentioned are proved to be constant and in dependence of certain peculiarities of each case are either progressive or regressive. The reaction degree is mainly proportional to the disturbance power.

[Modern concepts of neurotoxicity].

A systematic analysis of the main literature published in the recent five years which reflects a variety of aspects of research on specifics of the nervous system reactions in humans and animals to effects of neurotropic chemical products was performed. The further insight into the essence of neurotoxicity would contribute to the development of necessary measures for prevention and therapy of exogenous neurointoxications.

[Reactions of cellular structures of the brain of laboratory animals in oxygen deficiency].

Analysis of the latest literature data and the authors' neuromorphological observations give the possibility to consider that structural reactions of the cerebral cellular elements of higher animals to oxygen insufficiency have a common base, but vary in dependence of the hypoxia form and the character of its influence and peculiarities of individual reactivity of the organism. Neurons and gliocytes possess rather effective mechanisms of resistance to hypoxia and ischemia, and are connected with intracellular regenerative and adaptive-compensatory processes. Hypoxic factor of pathogenesis of dystrophic-destructive changes in the cerebral cells is, however, subcoordinative, but not self-sufficing in all cases without any exception.

[Structural characteristics of the "dark" cells of animal and human brains].

An analysis of contradictory data from literature and the authors' observations (light- and electron-microscopic examination of various pathological and experimental material) permits confirming the validity of the conclusion that "dark" cells of the animal and human nervous tissue represent in most cases elements arising during development and are functionally dependent.

[Current concepts on the "dark" cells of human and animal brains].

The latest current literature is reviewed on the dark cells of the brain and internal organs of animals and man. The following questions are considered: shrinked and picnomorphic neurons; dark neurons and glyocytes--structure and function; and perspectives of research into the problem of dark cells. A conclusion has been made that in most cases dark cells of the animal and human nervous tissue constitute functionally conditioned elements emerging during the life span.

[Change in the brain neuron structure of man and other mammals in edema and swelling of the brain substance].

A correlation was made between literature and obtained light microscopy data relative to the problem concerning the central neuron involvement at edema development and brain tissue swelling at different etiological backgrounds. A polymorphism of neuronic variations was demonstrated determined by a variety of causes including specificity of individual reactivity of central nervous system. Attention is drawn both to the non-identity of the notions: "hydropic variation (edema) of a neuron" and the "brain edema", and to a non-characteristic nature of "hard variation" of nerve cells for histological picture of edema-swelling brain tissue at neurooncologic affection, and to the absence of a strict proportionality between the degree of cerebral edema-swelling and variation intensity of the neuron structure.