ACETYLSALICYCLATE ADMINISTERED DURING SIMULATED ISCHEMIA REDUCES THE RECOVERY OF NEURONAL FUNCTION IN THE IN-VITRO RABBIT RETINA

Aspirin is widely used as an analgesic, in the secondary prevention of stroke, and has recently been suggested to be a putative neuroprotect ive agent, yet whether it acts directly on the central nervous system (CNS) is not yet clarified. We therefore examined the effect of lysine acetylsalicylate (L-ASA, 4-2000 mu M) on neuronal function under norm al conditions and following 1 h of ischemia using the in vitro rabbit retina preparation. L-ASA inhibited the light-evoked compound action p otentials, but not the electroretinogram, in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, L-ASA (2000 mu M, but not 4, 40 or 200 mu M) adm inistered during ischemia, reduced the recovery of neuronal function c ompared to control (untreated) retinas. L-ASA therefore inhibits CNS n eurotransmission, but not phototransduction, in a concentration-depend ent manner. In addition, high concentration L-ASA impairs the recovery of neuronal function following an ischemic episode. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.