PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF THE FREE-RADICAL SCAVENGERS, DIMETHYL-SULFOXIDEAND ETHANOL, IN CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA IN GERBILS

The effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethanol, which share an a bility to scavenge free radicals, on ischemia/reperfusion-evoked injur y to hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells were evaluated in the Mongolian g erbil. Ischemia was induced by a 5 min period of bilateral common caro tid artery occlusion followed by reperfusion for 5 days. Three groups of unanesthetized gerbils were injected intraperitoneally with either saline, DMSO (2.8 mmol/kg) or ethanol (2.0 mmol/kg) 30 min prior to is chemia. All three groups displayed significant increases in locomotor activity post-ischemia, with no differences between groups. The extent of CA1 pyramidal neuron loss was significantly reduced in the DMSO an d ethanol treated gerbils. The results suggest that both agents may be useful as adjuvant therapies in the treatment of cerebral ischemia/re perfusion injury. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.