Intravenous infusion of calcium antagonist, nicardipine, does not increase intracranial pressure: evaluation in a rat model of transient cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

Objective and method: Early use of parenteral antihypertensive drugs is recommended in acute ischemic stroke patients suffering hypertensive emergencies. Calcium antagonist has been widely employed, although there is controversy as to whether calcium antagonist can be administered safely to patients...

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Published in:Neurological research (New York) 2008-06, Vol.30 (5), p.531-535
Main Authors: Matsuzaki, Toshinori, Kano, Tsuneo, Katayama, Yoichi, Nakamura, Shin, Harada, Tadashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Blood Pressure - drug effects
Brain Infarction - etiology
Brain Infarction - prevention & control
Calcium Channel Blockers - therapeutic use
Disease Models, Animal
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
HYPERTENSION
INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE
Intracranial Pressure - drug effects
Ischemic Attack, Transient - drug therapy
Ischemic Attack, Transient - physiopathology
Male
NICARDIPINE
Nicardipine - therapeutic use
Rats
Rats, Inbred SHR
Reperfusion
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Summary:Objective and method: Early use of parenteral antihypertensive drugs is recommended in acute ischemic stroke patients suffering hypertensive emergencies. Calcium antagonist has been widely employed, although there is controversy as to whether calcium antagonist can be administered safely to patients with intracranial hypertension. In a rat model of transient cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, we evaluated the effect of the calcium antagonist, nicardipine, on intracranial pressure (ICP). Using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), focal cerebral ischemia was induced by an intraluminal thread method. ICP was monitored continuously employing an intraparenchymal catheter. The mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was reduced by infusing nicardipine intravenously. Results: Following 6 hours of transient ischemia and reperfusion, MABP was decreased by about 10 or 20% as compared to the baseline MABP with low-dose or high-dose nicardipine administration, respectively. ICP was significantly increased following reperfusion, although it did not increase further with nicardipine infusion. Conclusion: Under conditions where ICP was high following reperfusion, nicardipine reduced blood pressure safely without increasing ICP in rats.
ISSN:0161-6412
1743-1328
DOI:10.1179/016164107X258973