Nitroprusside improves blood flow and reduces brain damage after focal ischemia. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • We used the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and the NO synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to study the role of NO in the ischemic damage produced by occlusion of the rat middle cerebral artery (MCA). After MCA occlusion, intracarotid administration of SNP (2.5 mg kg h-2 for 1 h) enhanced the recovery of neocortical cerebral blood flow and of the EEG and reduced cortical infarct size by 76 +/- 2% (p < 0.01; n = 5). In contrast, administration of L-NAME (10 mg kg h-2) worsened the recovery of CBF and EEG and increased infarct size (+ 60 +/- 16%; p < 0.05; n = 5). The findings indicate that NO improves blood flow and reduces tissue damage after focal cerebral ischemia. Thus, NO donors could have an important role in the management of acute ischemic stroke.

publication date

  • May 1, 1993

Research

keywords

  • Brain
  • Brain Ischemia
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Nitroprusside

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0027252586

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/00001756-199305000-00024

PubMed ID

  • 8513138

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 4

issue

  • 5