Experimental pharmacologic cerebroprotection

In the first part of this experiment, the effects of pharmacotherapy on the neurologic consequences of transient global ischemia were examined in Wistar rats. The control and four experimental groups each contained six rats. In comparison to the control group receiving normal saline (NS) solution, in which no rats survived, all rats given naloxone (Nx) (23 mg/kg), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (10,000 U/kg), or allopurinol (APL) (35 mg/kg), 15 minutes before interruption of cerebral blood flow, survived the 20-minute period of global ischemia (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01, respectively). No rat receiving deferoxamine (DEF) (20 mg/kg) survived the same ischemic period. In the second part of the experiment, the arachidonic acid (AA) content of brain samples was determined by gas chromatography and was used as an indicator of cerebral ischemia. Two control and four experimental groups consisted of six rats each. An ischemia control group received NS, whereas experimental groups were given Nx, SOD, APL, or DEF with the same previous dosage schedule. The animals were decapitated 15 minutes after drug infusion and cerebral ischemia was simulated by incubation of the heads in a 37 degrees C water bath for 60 minutes. AA content of ischemic brain treated with NS was markedly elevated (60.0 +/- 24.1 micrograms/gm of brain tissue), whereas in comparison the AA content of brain treated with Nx (5.1 +/- 3.0 micrograms/gm of brain tissue, p less than 0.05), SOD (3.5 +/- 2.7 micrograms/gm of brain tissue, p less than 0.05), or APL (2.9 +/- 1.5 micrograms/gm of brain tissue, p less than 0.05) all demonstrated much lower levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)