[Protective action of phenytoin on cerebral ischemia in rats]

In order to study and modify the ischemic brain lesions, protecting the reversible damage of neurons, and limiting the ischemic damage both models of cerebral ischemia--focal cerebral ischemia induced by photochemically, and brain reperfusion after ligation of common carotid arteries bilateral in Wistar rats were used to investigate the protective effect of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) on cerebral ischemia. Two groups of rats received DPH 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg respectively were compared with those having received normal saline immediately after cerebral ischemia. The effects of DPH on the changes of EEG, biochemical marker and pathologic lesion in focal cerebral ischemia in rats were evaluated. The results showed that the degree of restoration of EEG in the group treated with DPH was better than in the group with normal saline, the content of water in ischemic cerebral tissue was decreased significantly (P < 0.05), the activity of Na-K-ATPase and antioxidant was increased significantly (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively), and the percentage of necrotic neurons in periischemic area was decreased markedly (P < 0.001) in groups treated by DPH. The results suggest that there is a definite protective effect of DPH on cerebral ischemia.