Effect of NO synthase inhibition on NMDA- and ischaemia-induced hippocampal lesions

We assessed the effect of NG-Nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, on the hippocampal lesions induced either by the focal injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or (s)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (s-AMPA) or by 10 min of severe forebrain ischaemia (4-vessel occlusion), in the rat. We find that L-NAME, 20 or 40 mg kg-1, selectively decreases NMDA-induced CA1 lesions while it has no effect on AMPA toxicity. L-NAME, 20 mg kg-1, does not decrease hippocampal damage induced by ischaemia. These results suggest that NO contributes to NMDA toxicity and support data indicating that NMDA receptor antagonists fail to protect against hippocampal CA1 lesions in the 4-vessel occlusion model.