Functional, Behavioral, and Histological Changes Induced by Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia in Rats: Effects of Cinnarizine and Flunarizine

Temporary cerebral ischemia (15 min) produced by “four-vessel occlusion” in the rat causes neurological disorders, changes in behavior (locomotor hyperactivity), and neuronal damage in the neocortex, striatum, and especially the CA1 zone of the hippocampus. We have studied the effects of two calcium...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism 1989-10, Vol.9 (5), p.646-654
Main Authors: Poignet, H., Beaughard, M., Lecoin, G., Massingham, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavior, Animal - drug effects
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - pathology
Brain Ischemia - pathology
Brain Ischemia - physiopathology
Brain Ischemia - psychology
Calcium - antagonists & inhibitors
Cardiovascular system
Cinnarizine - pharmacology
Flunarizine - pharmacology
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Motor Activity - drug effects
Nervous System - drug effects
Nervous System - physiopathology
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Temporary cerebral ischemia (15 min) produced by “four-vessel occlusion” in the rat causes neurological disorders, changes in behavior (locomotor hyperactivity), and neuronal damage in the neocortex, striatum, and especially the CA1 zone of the hippocampus. We have studied the effects of two calcium overload blockers, flunarizine (50 mg/kg p.o. twice a day) and cinnarizine (100 mg/kg p.o. twice a day), on these alterations. Cinnarizine markedly improved the functional abnormalities of ischemia but had little or no effect upon the neuronal damage. In contrast, flunarizine provided far greater neuronal protection but with less obvious effects upon behavioral parameters. However, there was evidence of sedation 2 h after treating animals with this dose of flunarizine that might have masked any positive effect of the drug on behavior. We conclude that under the present experimental conditions, there is no correlation between the early and late behavioral changes observed following a temporary cerebral ischemic episode and the histological damage observed in certain vulnerable neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, 72 h after the insult.
ISSN:0271-678X
1559-7016
DOI:10.1038/jcbfm.1989.92