PROPHYLAXIS OF ENCEPHALOPATHIES AND RISK-FACTORS OF ATHEROGENESIS DEVELOPMENT IN THE POSTRESUSCITATION PERIOD IN RATS BY MEANS OF SUCCINIC ACID

The effect of oral administration of succinic acid was studied in 66 r ats exposed to 10 min cardiac arrest with further resuscitation. A tot al of 30 mg/kg of the drug were administered daily for 5 days starting with day 3 up to day 7 after resuscitation. The experiments have reve aled that treatment with succinic acid caused normalization of the ori enting behavior in an 'open field' test, decrease of the intensity of response to electric shock, normalization of free radical formation in the brain and serum and reduced cerebral morphological changes. The s uccinic acid prevented the increase of cholesterol, triglyceride and l ow density lipoproteins in the blood. The data suggested that after ad ditional trials the succinic acid could be used to prevent development of postresuscitation encephalopathies (3 months after reanimation). ( C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.