Protective effect of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, MK-801and CPP on cold-induced brain oedema

Cold injury model in rat was used to determine the effect of treatment with the competitive NMDA antagonists CPP and the noncompetitive NMDA antagonis t MK-801 in cerebral oedema. MK-801 was applied in doses of 1 mg/kg and CPP of 10 mg/kg, 15 min. after injury. Control animals received 1 mi saline at the same time interval after injury. Tissue samples from the core and peri phery of the lesion of the injured hemisphere and from the symmetrical loca tion of the undamaged contralateral hemisphere were removed 24 hours after injury. Blood brain barrier permeability, brain water content and tissue sp ecific gravity values were determined. MK-801 was found beneficial for redu cing the oedema and restore the blood brain barrier permeability at the pen umbral zone of the lesion, whereas both MK-801 and CPP were found ineffecti ve for prevention of oedema accumulation at the core of the lesion.