Arachidonic acid metabolism in gerbil cerebra: effects of ischemia and pentobarbital

Effect of 2,6-diisopropylphenol on the delayed hippocampal cell loss following transient forebrain ischemia in the gerbil

We examined the protective activity of 2,6-diisopropylphenol on mortality and delayed hippocampal cell death induced by transient cerebral ischemia in the gerbil. Forebrain ischemia was produced by bilaterally occluding the common carotid arteries for 10 minutes; then the blood supply to the brain was restored. The number of survivors was counted for 8 days, and the histopathological damage in the CA1 region of the hippocampus was scored according to the semiquantitative scale of Rudolphi and Colleagues. When intraperitoneally injected immediately after the ischemic attack, 2,6-diisopropylphenol (25, 50, 100 mg kg-1) produced no significant reduction in the rate of mortality in comparison with its vehicle. However, the survivors that had received the compound at the dose of 50 and 100 mg kg-1 elicited a significant increase in the number of viable pyramidal cells in the CA1 hippocampal region. Moreover, we obtained similar results by injecting the compound 30 minutes after the release of the carotid artery occlusion. These results suggest that 2,6-diisopropylphenol, although it does not show any capability of improving the rate of survival, it elicits protective properties against the transient forebrain ischemia-induced delayed hippocampal neuronal death.

Increase in ubiquitin conjugates dependent on ischemic damage

Insoluble ubiquitin conjugates (UC) in the mitochondrial fraction of the gerbil cortex were analyzed following transient forebrain ischemia. At 1 h of reperfusion after 2-10 min of ischemia, UC increased as the duration of ischemia was prolonged. Pre-treatment with pentobarbital, rather than post-treatment immediately after recirculation, reduced the increase of UC at 1 h of reperfusion following 5 min of ischemia. Pentobarbital had no effect on in vitro ubiquitination of heat-denatured lysozyme by the extract of gerbil cortex. These results suggest that increase in UC is dependent on ischemic damage and pentobarbital attenuates the increase of UC by relieving injury during ischemia.

Electrophysiological responses of the cochlea to transient asphyxia are influenced by arachidonate metabolites

The influence of a transient asphyxia on cochlear potentials, i.e. endolymphatic potential (EP), summating potential (SP) and cochlear microphonics (CM) was investigated in guinea pigs when pretreating the animals with various substances interacting with the arachidonic acid (AA) cascade at the level of thromboxane. The controls showed the well-known decline of the EP, CM and the SP increase. When infusing a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor (dazoxiben) or two different thromboxane receptor blockers (daltroban or sulotraban) before the 3-minutes' period of asphyxia was started, the electrophysiological responses of the inner ear (cochlea) could significantly be influenced. The results indicate that a shift of the thromboxane (TXA2)/prostacyclin (PGI2)-balance in favour of the last improve the metabolic conditions for a survival of the cochlea when it is challenged.