pH measurement as quality control on human <i>post mortem</i> brain tissue: a study of the BrainNet Europe consortium

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<jats:p> <jats:bold>Aims:</jats:bold> Most brain diseases are complex entities. Although animal models or cell culture experiments mimic some disease aspects, human <jats:italic>post mortem</jats:italic> brain tissue remains essential to advance our understanding of brain diseases using biochemical and molecular techniques. <jats:italic>Post mortem</jats:italic> artefacts must be properly understood, standardized, and either eliminated or factored into such experiments. Here we examine the influence of several premortem and <jats:italic>post mortem</jats:italic> factors on pH, and discuss the role of pH as a biochemical marker for brain tissue quality. <jats:bold>Methods:</jats:bold> We assessed brain tissue pH in 339 samples from 116 brains provided by 8 different European and 2 Australian brain bank centres. We correlated brain pH with tissue source, <jats:italic>post mortem</jats:italic> delay, age, gender, freezing method, storage duration, agonal state and brain ischaemia. <jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> Our results revealed that only prolonged agonal state and ischaemic brain damage influenced brain tissue pH next to repeated freeze/thaw cycles. <jats:bold>Conclusions:</jats:bold> pH measurement in brain tissue is a good indicator of premortem events in brain tissue and it signals limitations for <jats:italic>post mortem</jats:italic> investigations.</jats:p>

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