INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF DEXTROMETHORPHAN ON C-FOS PROTEIN EXPRESSION DURING FOCAL CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA IN RATS

AIM: To study the effect of dextromethorphan (DM) in focal cerebral is chemia, METHODS: The c-fos protein was detected immunohistochemically in the brain of rats after focal cerebral ischemia (induced by placing a nylon thread in the lumen of the internal carotid artery) with and without treatment with DM. RESULTS: Focal cerebral ischemia induced c- fos protein expression outside the care territory of the middle cerebr al artery (MCA) and neuronal damage in the core territory of the MCA, There was an evident expression of c-fos protein in the ipsilateral re gions outside the MCA territory (eg cingulate cortices, piriform corti ces and entorhinal cortices), and in the contralateral regions of hipp ocampus after 4-h reperfusion following l-h MCA occlusion. But morphol ogical results showed severe edema and neuronal damage in the core ter ritory and the ipsilateral hippocampus. DM blocked both the c-fos prot ein induction and neuronal damage in all regions. CONCLUSION: DM reduc ed c-fos protein expression and blocked the neuronal damage after foca l cerebral ischemia.