Protective effect of alpha-tocopherol on ischemic neuronal damage in the gerbil hippocampus

The effect of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) on ischemic neuronal damage was studied in the gerbil. The animals were subjected to 5 min of cerebral ischemia by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. Immediately after ischemia, alpha-tocopherol at a dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg was administered intravenously. Morphological changes in the CA1 sector of the hippocampus were evaluated after 7 days of survival. alpha-Tocopherol prevented ischemia-induced neuronal death. The average density of CA1 pyramidal neurons (cells/mm, mean +/- S.E.M.) was 252 +/- 8 (n = 8) in the sham-operated group, 50 +/- 20 (n = 8) in the ischemia group, and 140 +/- 35 (n = 8) and 182 +/- 36 (n = 8) in the groups treated with alpha-tocopherol at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. The results suggest that free radical scavenging action of alpha-tocopherol played an important role in preventing the neuronal death.