EFFECT OF NEUROTROPIN ON CEREBRAL EDEMA, CALCIUM AND OTHER ELEMENTS IN MICE SUBARACHNOIDALLY INJECTED WITH CARRAGEENAN

Neurotropin, an inhibitor of the kallikrein-kinin system, was therapeu tically i.p. administered to mice with brain inflammation induced by s ubarachnoidal injection of carrageenan. Brain water content was determ ined by the wet/dry weight ratio. The concentrations of cerebral Ca, K , Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, and Sr were measured by particle-induced X-r ay emission. It was found that neurotropin dose dependently reduced br ain water content. The mean concentration of cerebral calcium was sign ificantly lower in the neurotropin-treated group than that in the non- treated group, suggesting less cell damage. Since it has been reported that dexamethasone and some prostaglandin inhibitors have no effect o n brain swelling in this model and that, in contrast to these drugs, n eurotropin has only a weak inhibiting activity on carrageenan-induced paw swelling, it is hypothesized that the kallikrein-kinin system is d ifferently implicated in cerebral and peripheral inflammation.