Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Short-Duration Hypothermia Induction in Rats using Models for Studies examining Clinical Relevance and Mechanisms
Published on: March 3, 2021
Therapeutic hypothermia: neuroprotective mechanisms
1Dept. of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Neurology (127), 4150 Clement St., San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.
Abstract:
Hypothermia has long been known to be a potent putative neuroprotectant. Experimental evidence and clinical experience show that hypothermia protects the brain from cerebral injury. Recent insights into the mechanisms of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion suggest reasons why hypothermia may be an ideal modality for stroke therapy. Hypothermia protects brain tissue in multiple ways. It retards energy depletion, reduces intracellular acidosis, lessens the ischemia related accumulation of excitotoxic neurotransmitters, and attenuates the influx of intracellular calcium. Additionally, hypothermia suppresses the generation of oxygen free radicals involved in secondary damage associated with reperfusion. It also suppresses the mechanisms related to blood-brain barrier degeneration and postischemic remodeling. The clinical application of therapeutic hypothermia and its limitations will be summarized in this paper. Therapeutic hypothermia is likely to undergo phase III clinical trials in various clinical settings. Novel technologies are being developed to optimize the safety and efficacy of this promising approach.
Related Concept Videos
Decreased Body Temperature
The Blood-brain Barrier
Ischemic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
Methods of reducing fever
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology
Thermoregulation

