EFFECTS OF MILD WHOLE-BODY HYPERTHERMIA ON GRADED FOCAL ISCHEMIA-REPERFUSION IN A RAT STROKE MODEL

The influence of body temperature on focal cerebral ischaemia-reperfus ion was investigated by using a well established rat stroke model. Thr ee different degrees of ischaemia were created in the cerebral cortex of the right middle cerebral artery territory by varying the duration of clamping of the bilateral common carotid arteries and the right mid dle cerebral artery with full reperfusion. Mild hyperthermic (body tem perature 38-39 degrees C) influence during ischaemia significantly enh anced the severity of infarction in mild (30 min) ischaemia, mean infa rct volume was 78% greater than normothermic (body temperature 36.5-37 .5 degrees C) group (P < 0.001); and in moderate (60 min) ischaemia, m ean infarct volume was 23% greater than in the normothermic group (P < 0.05); but no difference between the two groups was observed in sever e (90 min) ischaemia, Our data suggest that mild whole body hypertherm ia during focal ischaemia-reperfusion has a detrimental effect on the infarct volume only in mild and moderate ischaemia in this model. Jour nal of Clinical Neuroscience (1998) 5(4), 428-431 (C) Haicourt Brace & Co. Ltd 1998