Nitric oxide does not act as a mediator coupling cerebral blood flow to neural activity following somatosensory stimuli in rats

The possible role of nitric oxide (NO) on vibrissa-stimulated increase of regional cerebral cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglu) was investigated in conscious Wistar rats by using an inhibitor of NO synthase, NG-nitro-L-arginine (NOLAG) at a concentration of 30 mg/kg. In vivo autoradiography distribution with 14C-iodoantipyrine and 14C-deoxyglucose in two separate series showed CBF of 174% of control and CMRglu of 196% of control in the primary sensory cortex opposite the stimulated side in saline treated control animals. Similar increases were found in NOLAG-treated animals. Furthermore, NOLAG did not change either basal CMRglu or CMRO2. The findings suggest, that NO is not involved in coupling flow to the increased metabolism accompanying physiological sensory stimuli.

Ischemia as an excitotoxic lesion: protection against hippocampal nerve cell loss by denervation

There are several indications for an involvement of neuroexcitatory mechanisms in ischemic neuron damage. Since we forwarded the hypothesis in 1982 that the transmitter glutamate is playing a key role, several lines of evidence have substantiated this: there is a pronounced transmitter release induced by ischemia and there is uptake of Ca++ via NMDA-operated calcium channels. Under certain circumstances postischemic neuron death can be impaired by administration of either NMDA-antagonists or calcium blockers. Further proof for the induction of harmful excitatory mechanisms by ischemia has been obtained by preischemic denervation of the vulnerable nerve cells. After transient cerebral ischemia in rats or gerbils, there are signs of irreversible damage (eosinophilia) of neurons in the dentate hilus (somatostatin-positive cells) after 2-3 hours and of hippocampal pyramidal neurons after 2-3 days (delayed neuron death). In the first case, removal of the (main) input to hilus cells by degranulation (colchicine selectively eliminates granule cells) protects these. In the case of pyramidal neurons removal of Schaffer collaterals/commisurals or input from the entorhinal cortex have a protective effect. Recently, we have measured glutamate and calcium in CA1 of denervated rats during 10 min of ischemia, and it turns out that there is almost no extracellular glutamate release or lowering of calcium in contrast to ischemic animals with intact innervation. Also in the postischemic period there are indications of a continuation of the damaging processes induced by ischemia. Besides the well known postischemic hypoperfusion, a prolonged release of glutamate has been reported, as well as burst firing in some models.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hypothermia protects somatostatinergic neurons in rat dentate hilus from zinc accumulation and cell death after cerebral ischemia

We have previously shown that somatostatin (SS) immunoreactive (-i) neurons, located in the rat dentate hilus, are vulnerable to cerebral ischemia (Johansen et al., 1987). Within 40 h after ischemia, the cells show clear signs of cell death. At the same time, we observed that dying cells, located in the projection field of the mossy fibers (dentate hilus and CA3 mossy fiber layer), accumulate free zinc. We now demonstrate that the hilar cells, accumulating zinc after ischemia, are SS-i cells. Since it is known that hypothermia can ameliorate ischemic brain damage, we furthermore studied whether hypothermia (29 degrees C) protects the vulnerable SS-i neurons in hilus from zinc accumulation and ischemic cell death. We found that hypothermia both prevented ischemia-induced neuronal zinc accumulation and cell death. We speculate that hilar SS-i cells are highly vulnerable to ischemia, and develop rapid ischemic cell death, because they accumulate zinc shortly after ischemia.

Microglial MHC antigen expression after ischemic and kainic acid lesions of the adult rat hippocampus

By taking advantage of the specific neuronal and connective organization of the hippocampus and the different susceptibility of hippocampal neurons to transient cerebral ischemia or intraventricular injections of kainic acid (KA), we examined the microglial reactions to different types of neuronal injury. In all areas with neuronal or axonal degeneration, the microglial cells reacted by specific degeneration-related morphological transformations and expression of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen. Subpopulations of microglial cells also expressed class II MHC antigen and leukocyte common antigen (LCA) in relation to (1) degenerating nerve cell bodies in the dentate hilus and the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers, (2) postischemic degeneration of dendrites in the stratum radiatum of CA1, and (3) combined dendritic and axonal degeneration in the stratum radiatum of the KA-lesioned CA3. MHC II and LCA expression was not observed in relation to degeneration of the CA3-derived Schaffer collaterals in CA1 after KA-induced CA3 lesions. In the case of ischemia the degeneration-related reactions were preceded by an early, generalized microglial reaction, which also included areas without subsequent signs of neural degeneration. This reaction, which was transient and characterized by subtle morphological changes and induction of class I MHC antigen only, was presumably triggered by a general postischemic perturbation of the cerebral microenvironment, and not by actual neural degeneration. In conclusion, we found that microglial expression of class I MHC antigen was a sensitive marker of both the general perturbation after ischemia and axonal degeneration distant from the areas of actual nerve cell death.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Limbic seizure-induced changes in extracellular amino acid levels in the hippocampal formation: a microdialysis study of freely moving rats

Limbic seizure-activity was induced by injecting kainic acid into the amygdala of rats. Extracellular levels of amino acids were monitored by microdialysis in the hippocampus. No changes were detected in the levels of glutamate and aspartate. The level of glycine also remained unchanged, whereas GABA showed an increase of approximately 35%. The level of glutamine decreased by approximately 30%, and that of serine by approximately 20%. The results indicate that increased turnover may exist in the glutamate transmitter pool. In addition, impairment of GABA-release seems not to be a pathogenetic factor in seizure-induced hippocampal neuron loss. It is concluded that even during sustained seizure-activity, the extracellular level of glutamate, is maintained within narrow limits. A proposed index for excitatory neurodegeneration, glutamate x glycine/GABA, was found to be decreased in this seizure model. We therefore suggest that seizure-induced neuron death is not reflected by alterations in the extracellular levels of glutamate and aspartate, thought to act as direct neurotoxins.

The AMPA antagonist, NBQX, protects against ischemia-induced loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells

We examined the effect of an AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole) antagonist, 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo (F) quinoxaline (NBQX), on rat cerebellar Purkinje cell loss and hippocampal pyramidal CA1 cell loss, after 10 minutes of global cerebral ischemia. NBQX was given intraperitoneally in a dose of 30 mg kg-1 at the end of ischemia, and 10 and 25 minutes later. Rats subjected to ischemia without post-ischemic administration of NBQX served as controls. Four days after ischemia the cerebellar Purkinje cell density was higher and the density of acidophilic (dead) Purkinje cells lower in the NBQX treated animals compared with the control animals (p = 0.01 and p less than 0.005 respectively). There was partial to total loss of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus in control animals, but no CA1 pyramidal neuron loss in the NBQX treated animals (p = 0.001).

Reduction of infarct volume and mortality by thrombolysis in a rat embolic stroke model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator was tested in a rat embolic stroke model.

METHODS

The rat carotid territory was embolized with arterial-like microthrombi formed under pressure. Hemispheric cerebral blood flow before and after embolization was measured by the intraarterial Xenon-133 injection method. Fifteen minutes after embolization, 24 rats were treated with 3 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg tissue plasminogen activator, and 27 were treated with saline. Carotid angiography displayed the rate of occlusion of the cerebral arterial supply before and after treatment. Brains were fixed and evaluated neuropathologically and infarct volume was measured.

RESULTS

Cerebral blood flow was reduced 70-86% after embolization. The comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment angiography showed significant (p = 0.0005) reperfusion in the treated rats. Thrombolytic therapy significantly reduced the infarct volume from 55.1% to 24.4% of embolized hemisphere volume (p = 0.007) and increased the survival rate from 0.48 to 0.96 (p = 0.0004). Fifty-three percent of the embolized rats recanalized completely after thrombolytic treatment and developed almost no infarction (median volume 2.8%), and all survived. No hemorrhagic complications were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Early thrombolytic therapy induced recanalization and reduced mortality and infarct volume after embolic stroke in this model.

Protection against ischemic hippocampal CA1 damage in the rat with a new non-NMDA antagonist, NBQX

Two glutamate antagonists were tested in a rat model of complete, transient cerebral ischemia. Six days after 10 min ischemia the mean loss of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurones was 73%. Administration of the AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) antagonist NBQX (2,3-dihydro-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline) reduced the pyramidal neurone loss to 1%, 11% and 15%, when given before, immediately after or 1 h after ischemia, respectively. MK-801 (dizocilpine), a competitive NMDA antagonist gave no protection in this model. We suggest that the AMPA receptor transduction mechanisms are sensitized by ischemia and that the postischemic blockade of the main glutamatergic input to the CA1 cells with NBQX impairs the deleterious effect of "normal" postischemic excitatory transmission.

Regional cerebral protein synthesis after transient ischemia in the rat: effect of the AMPA antagonist NBQX

Normothermic rats with 12 min, complete cerebral ischemia were treated with the AMPA antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo (F) quinoxalinedione (NBQX) [10], which prevents CA1 pyramidal neuron loss. Twenty hours after ischemia, cerebral protein synthesis rate (CPSR) was measured autoradiographically using [35S]methionine. Ischemia caused a 38% decrease of CPSR in CA1, and postischemic treatment with NBQX caused a 66% decrease in this region. Also treatment with NBQX alone resulted in a decrease (22% in CA1) of the CPSR. Since some evidence exists that the neuroprotective effect of NBQX is related to blockade of the fast AMPA-mediated transmission, the further decrease of the postischemic CPSR in CA1 could be a mere side effect.

A rat model of reproducible cerebral infarction using thrombotic blood clot emboli

The purpose of this study was the development of a model of embolic stroke with high reproducibility concerning infarct volume. In 37 male Sprague-Dawley rats, the internal carotid artery was embolized with in vitro preformed suspensions of autologous microemboli resembling arterial thrombi. With a method of continuous flow through the carotid arterial catheter, reflux of blood with uncontrolled clotting and embolization was avoided, thereby providing control animals free of ischemic damage. The embolized animals had arterial occlusions on angiograms immediately after embolization and no spontaneous recanalization on angiograms 2 h later. The cerebral blood flow measured by the intra-arterial 133Xe injection method decreased to 21-37% of baseline values. All embolized animals developed hemiparesis with spontaneous circling behavior, embolization with more than 150 microliters clot suspension resulted in hemispherical infarcts. There was a strong statistically significant correlation between amount of emboli, rate of vascular occlusion, and volume of infarcted tissue. This is the first model presented utilizing autologous in vitro microemboli imitating "white" arterial thrombi. The animals developed infarction, resembling human stroke.

Decrease of extracellular taurine in the rat dorsal hippocampus after central nervous administration of vasopressin

The extracellular amino acid concentrations in the left and right dorsal hippocampus of male rats were studied before and during application of vasopressin into the right hippocampus. The method of intracerebral microdialysis was used for both arginine vasopressin administration and monitoring of the composition of the extracellular fluid. The concentrations of 16 amino acids were measured by HPLC in the perfusate samples. The level of taurine declined 20% in the right hippocampus during perfusion with vasopressin, whereas o-phosphoethanolamine decreased in both sides, the left 20% and the right 24%. These alterations may be related to cerebral osmoregulation. Also, the levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine increased 15% and 35%, respectively, during administration of vasopressin. No changes of other amino acids were observed.

Ultrastructure of neurons containing somatostatin in the dentate hilus of the rat hippocampus after cerebral ischaemia, and a note on their commissural connections

In a light microscopical study, we previously showed that more than 80% of somatostatin (SS) immunoreactive (-i) neurons in the hilus of the dorsal part of the rat dentate gyrus are lost 4 days after ischemia. In order to verify that the loss of SS immunostaining is due to an actual loss of the SS-i neurons and not merely a loss in expression of SS immunoreactivity, we have now performed an ultrastructural study of these neurons before and 40 h after 20 min of global cerebral ischaemia in adult rats. The normal SS-i neurons were multipolar and fusiform in shape. The SS-i product was associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and occasionally the Golgi apparatus. The cell nuclei had indentations of the nucleolemma and contained intranuclear rods. After ischaemia, many SS-i neurons in the dentate hilus showed increased electron density of both the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm. In addition the cytoplasm was heavily vacuolated with the SS-i associated with some of these vacuoles. Other SS-i neurons had, in addition to the vacuoles a more homogeneous, and abnormal electron lucent nucleus and cytoplasm. These ultrastructural changes correspond to previously reported irreversible, ischaemic cell changes of neurons. Based on this we conclude that the SS immunoreactivity in the dentate hilus of the dorsal hippocampus is lost after ischaemia because of neuronal necrosis. As a minor part of this study, we examined whether the ischaemia-susceptible SS-i neurons in dentate hilus had commissural axonal projections. This was done utilizing double fluorescence microscopy of retrograde axonal transport of the fluorescent dye, Fluoro-Gold, and the observation that vulnerable SS-i neurons display homogeneously dispersed immunostaining 40 h after ischaemia. Fluoro-Gold was injected unilaterally into the dorsal dentate gyrus 5 days prior to ischaemia. Then, 40 h after ischaemia, sections were stained for SS immunofluorescence, and examined, in the dentate hilus contralateral to the injection, for neuronal co-localization of both events. Cell counts revealed double-labelling of 13% of all neurons which displayed one of the events. This observation suggests that at least some of the ischaemia-susceptible SS-i neurons in dentate hilus do project commissurally. The pathophysiological significance of ischaemic loss of commissurally projecting SS-i neurons in dentate hilus remains to be determined.

Effect of phenylsuccinate on potassium- and ischemia-induced release of glutamate in rat hippocampus monitored by microdialysis

The extracellular concentration of glutamate in rat hippocampus during physiological conditions, elevated extracellular K+ and global ischemia was followed by microdialysis and subsequent determination of glutamate by HPLC. The effect of phenylsuccinate, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial dicarboxylate carrier, was studied. It was found that while phenylsuccinate had no effect on the extracellular glutamate concentration during perfusion under physiological and ischemic conditions, the potassium-induced increase in the extracellular glutamate concentration was totally blocked by phenylsuccinate. Ischemia led to a pronounced glutamate overflow. The finding that phenylsuccinate could inhibit potassium-induced glutamate release into the extracellular space but not that induced by ischemia suggests that glutamate released under these conditions originates from different pools. Since glutamate released by a depolarizing concentration of potassium is likely to originate primarily from the transmitter pool, the ischemia-induced glutamate overflow may primarily be released from both the transmitter and the metabolic pool. This is compatible with the previous finding that phenylsuccinate specifically prevents biosynthesis of transmitter glutamate leaving the metabolic glutamate pool unaffected.

The vasopressin receptor of the blood-brain barrier in the rat hippocampus is linked to calcium signalling

The signal transduction system of the vasopressin receptor in cerebral microvessels is not known but appears not to be adenylate cyclase/cyclic AMP. We determined the effect of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on the intracellular free calcium concentration [Ca2+]i in endothelial cells of isolated hippocampal microvessels of rats, using the fura-2 fluorescence technique. AVP administration caused a rapid and transient rise of cytosolic free calcium which was absent after extracellular calcium was removed, and could be blocked with the vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist, d(CH2)5 Tyr(Me)AVP. The vasopressin V2 receptor agonist, 1-deamino-8,D-AVP, on the contrary, failed to affect the intracellular free calcium level, and was unable to inhibit the AVP-induced rise of [Ca2+]i in the preparation. Our results, therefore, demonstrate the presence of a calcium-signalling, i.e. V1 vasopressin receptor at the blood-brain barrier in the hippocampus of the rat.

Post-ischemic and kainic acid-induced c-fos protein expression in the rat hippocampus

The c-fos protein is a gene regulatory third messenger involved in long-term responses of cells to various stimuli. It can be used as a marker of neuronal activity. In the present immunohistochemical study the presence of c-fos protein (FP) in the rat brain from 1 h to 14 days after 10 min of cerebral ischemia was compared with that 3 h after an intraventricular injection of kainic acid. The kainic acid injection resulted in staining of dentate hilar cells, granule cells and hippocampal interneurones. The postischemic changes at Day 1 were sporadic CA1 pyramidal cells expressing the FP. At Day 2 FP was expressed with variable intensity in many pyramidal cells in the CA1. At Day 3 many necrotic CA1 pyramidal cells were seen. They did not express the FP, and the expression was less intense and found in fewer cells than at Day 2. At Days 3, 7 and 14 there was increasing gliosis without c-fos expression in the CA1. The study demonstrates a delayed postischemic synthesis of the gene regulatory protein c-fos preceding the necrosis in the selectively vulnerable CA1 region.

Enhancement of GABA neurotransmission after cerebral ischemia in the rat reduces loss of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells

Increased excitation may be involved in the development of delayed CA1 pyramidal cell death in hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia. Therefore we investigated the possible neuroprotective effect of the GABA uptake inhibitor, R-(-)-1-(4,4-(3-methyl-2-thienyl)-3-butenyl)-3-piperidine carboxylic acid (No-328), in a rat cerebral ischemia model of delayed CA1 pyramidal cell death. No-328 in doses of 36 mg/kg given 30 min before, and 1, 24, 48 and 72 h after ischemia significantly reduced the CA1 neuron loss. Doses of 50 mg/kg of No-328 given immediately before, 24 h and 48 h after ischemia, also reduced the CA1 neuron loss significantly. Furthermore, we demonstrated that postischemic treatment with diazepam (4 x 15 mg/kg) significantly reduced the CA1 neuron loss. However, postischemic treatment with several doses (5 x 12 mg/kg) of the GABA analog, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP), offered no CA1 neuron protection when given alone, but when administrated together with diazepam (4 x 15 mg/kg) it significantly reduced the CA1 neuron loss. We conclude that enhancement of postischemic GABA neurotransmission, during the first 2-3 days after ischemia, may reduce the ischemic CA1 damage through a continuous increase in hippocampal GABA extracellular levels (No-328), or through an increase in sensitivity to GABA neurotransmission (diazepam).

Decreased glucose utilization in discrete brain regions of rat in thioacetamide-induced hepatic encephalopathy as measured with [3H]-deoxyglucose

To evaluate the possible contribution of bioenergetic failure in the particular brain regions to the pathomechanism of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (LCMRglue) was evaluated from [3H]-deoxyglucose uptake in frontal, visual and auditory cortex, striatum, cerebellum and medulla oblongata of rats with acute HE induced with a hepatotoxin--thioacetamide (TAA). HE caused a decrease of LCMRglue in all the regions studied. The strongest decrease (about 65%) was noted in hippocampus and cerebral cortex--the two regions rich in glutamatergic neurons. The results indicate a possible link between decreased energy metabolism and impaired excitatory, glutamatergic neurotransmission--the two factors whose contribution to HE has so far been implicated separately.

Inhibition in postischemic rat hippocampus: GABA receptors, GABA release, and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials

We have investigated the GABAergic system in rat hippocampus at 1 hour and up to 21 days following 20 min of global cerebral ischemia. Distribution of 3H-GABA (in excess of unlabeled baclofen) and 3H-Ro-15-1788 (benzodiazepine antagonist) binding sites in hippocampus was studied utilizing quantitative autoradiography. The 3H-GABA binding was unchanged (p greater than 0.01) after ischemia, whereas the 3H-Ro-15-1788 binding decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) in all hippocampal subfields 1-21 days after ischemia. Using microdialysis in CA1, we found that K(+)-stimulated GABA release at 1 hour and 1 day after ischemia was unchanged (p greater than 0.01) in comparison to preischemic controls. Electrophysiological recordings were made from CA1 of hippocampal slices prepared from rats sacrificed 1 hour, 1 day and 2 days after ischemia. Field potentials evoked by stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals showed no differences (p greater than 0.01) from those taken from controls. Postischemic intracellular recordings from the CA1 pyramidal cells showed that fast and slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials were readily evoked on orthodromic stimulation. Together with our previous morphological results, demonstrating survival of hippocampal interneurons following ischemia, we conclude that hippocampal GABAergic interneurons preserve their inhibitory potential in the period preceding delayed CA1 pyramidal cell death. This conclusion taken together with the observation that postischemic 3H-Ro-15-1788 binding in hippocampus declined, suggest that benzodiazepines (by increasing the receptor affinity), GABA analogs, and GABA uptake inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of ischemic CA1 pyramidal cell death in the rat.

Kainic acid neurotoxicity: in vivo test of two new non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists

The possible neuroprotective effects of two new non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists were determined by quantitative light microscopy after intracerebral administration of kainic acid (KA) in two rat brain regions. KA alone or KA in combination with the antagonists alpha-amino-3-carboxy-methoxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMOA) and alpha-amino-2-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)methyl-5-methyl-3 -oxo-4-isoxazoline-4-propionic acid (AMNH) were stereotaxically injected into the striatum or into the CA3 region of hippocampus. Seven days later neuropathological examination including cell counts was performed on paraffin sections from the two brain regions. In the striatum, AMOA almost completely attenuated KA-induced cell damage, whereas AMNH showed no protective effect. In the hippocampal CA3 region none of the test compounds possessed neuroprotective properties against KA. These results seem to be consistent with a difference in the mechanisms responsible for the neurotoxic action of KA in the hippocampus compared to the striatum.

Modification of [3H]inositoltrisphosphate binding in kainic acid-lesioned and postischemic rat hippocampus

A quantitative autoradiographic study was made on the binding of the phosphatidylinositol system ligand [3H]inositol(1,4,5)-trisphosphate (IP3) to forebrain sections from rats decapitated various times after 10 min of forebrain ischemia. To investigate the effect of a deafferentation of the hippocampal CA1, kainic acid-induced CA3-lesioned rats with or without 10 min of cerebral ischemia, were also included. The highest binding was found in the hippocampal CA1. Ten min of cerebral ischemia did not change the binding significantly. Between 5 min and 1 h of recirculation there was a 25-35% binding decline in all regions. In the CA1, where the pyramidal cells became necrotic 6 days after ischemia, there was a further decline to 16% of control. In the cortex, where there is no necrosis in this model, binding did not return to control values until day 14. Four days after a selective CA3 lesion with kainic acid, there was a significant 25% decline in the cortex, dentate gyrus and CA1, whereas in the necrotic CA3 binding declined to 54% of control. Ten min of ischemia did not alter this binding significantly. This decrease in calcium mobilizing intracellular receptors after ischemia and seizures could be due to increased membrane degradation, or to a more specific down-regulation following increased intracellular concentration of calcium and IP3.

Novel class of amino acid antagonists at non-N-methyl-D-aspartic acid excitatory amino acid receptors. Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, and neuroprotection

The isoxazole amino acid 2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl) propionic acid (AMPA) (1), which is a highly selective agonist at the AMPA subtype of excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors, has been used as a lead for the development of two novel EAA receptor antagonists. One of the compounds, 2-amino-3-[3-(carboxymethoxy)-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl]propionic acid (AMOA, 7), was synthesized via O-alkylation by ethyl chloroacetate of the amino acid protected AMPA derivative 4. The other compound, 2-amino-3-[2-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)-methyl-5-methyl-3-+ ++oxoisoxazolin -4-yl]propionic acid (AMNH, 14) was synthesized with use of 4-(chloromethyl)-3-methoxy-5-methylisoxazole (8) as the starting material. The intermediate 4-(chloromethyl)-2-(3-methoxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)methyl-5-me thylisoxazolin- 3-one (11) was converted into the acetamidomalonate (12), which was stepwise deprotected to give 14. Compounds 7 and 14 were stable in aqueous solution at pH values close to physiological pH. Neither 7 nor 14 showed detectable affinities for the receptor, ion channel, or modulatory sites of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor complex. Quantitative receptor autoradiographic and conventional binding techniques were used to study the affinities of 7 and 14 for non-NMDA receptor sites. Both compounds were inhibitors of the binding of [3H]AMPA (IC50 = 90 and 29 microM, respectively). Compounds 14 and 7 were both very weak inhibitors of the high-affinity binding of radioactive kainic acid [( 3H]KAIN). Compound 14, but not 7, was, however, shown to be an inhibitor of low-affinity [3H]KAIN binding (IC50 = 40 microM) as determined in the presence of 100 mM calcium chloride. In the rat cortical slice preparation, 7 was shown to antagonize excitation induced by 1 with some selectivity, whereas 14 proved to be a rather selective antagonist of KAIN-induced excitation. Both antagonists showed very weak effects on the excitatory effects of NMDA. Compound 7 was a poor antagonist of excitation by quisqualic acid (2), whereas 14 did not affect excitation by this nonselective AMPA receptor agonist. On cat spinal neurones, both 7 and 14 reduced excitations by 1 and KAIN, but, again, the excitatory effects of 2 were much less sensitive. Compound 14 and, in particular, 7 effectively protected rat striatal neurones against the neurotoxic effects of KAIN, whereas the toxic effects of 1 were reduced only by 7. Neither antagonist showed protection against the cell damage caused by intrastriatal injection of the NMDA agonist quinolinic acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Short-term changes of parvalbumin and calbindin immunoreactivity in the rat hippocampus following cerebral ischemia

The calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin (PV) and calbindin (CaBP), were used as immunocytochemical markers for two different interneuron populations in the rat hippocampus shortly after transient cerebral ischemia. Besides in interneurons, CaBP immunoreactivity (-i) is located in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells and dentate granule cells. Shortly after ischemia, the PV-i and CaBP-i were unchanged but, around the 4th postischemic day, PV-i disappeared from somata and fibers located in CA1, CA3c, and the dentate hilus. Terminal PV-i was unchanged. Within days, the PV-i gradually reappeared, first in somata and then in fibers. The transient loss of PV-i was, on a time scale, closely accompanied by a permanent loss of CaBP-i in CA1 pyramidal cells. CaBP-i in interneurons was unchanged. In order to examine the effect of an increased intracellular calcium concentration on the PV-i and CaBP-i, the calcium ionophore A23187 was stereotaxically injected into CA1. In rats killed 30 min later and processed for PV-i and CaBP-i, both PV-i and CaBP-i had disappeared around the A23187 injection sites. Based on this observation and the changes observed after ischemia, it is suggested that the hippocampal PV-i interneurons suffer from a delayed and reversible calcium accumulation in the days after ischemia. Concomitantly, there could be a decreased synthesis or increased destruction of PV after ischemia.

Blood-brain transfer of L-phenylalanine declines after peripheral but not central nervous administration of vasopressin

To determine whether a previously reported effect of vasopressin on blood-brain transfer of leucine extends to other large neutral amino acids, we measured the regional blood-brain transfer of L-phenylalanine with the integral technique. Intravenous co-injection of L-phenylalanine and arginine vasopressin (30 nmol to 10 pmol) resulted in a decrease of the permeability-surface area (PaS) product of phenylalanine of between 11 and 39%. In addition, the peptide elicited a decrease of the cerebral blood flow of between 11 and 56% combined with a drastic decrease of the cardiac output (32-64%) and an elevation of the blood pressure to approximately 150% of control values. However, we found no changes of the cardiac output, the blood pressure, or the PaS product of phenylalanine after microdialysis (30 min, 5 microliters min-1) of arginine vasopressin (15 mumol L-1) into the dorsal hippocampus, but cerebral blood flow was decreased. The results support the hypothesis that arginine vasopressin receptors at the blood-brain barrier are involved in the regulation of large neutral amino acid transfer from blood to brain and indicate that these receptors are located at the luminal membrane of the endothelial cells.