Effects of nimodipine on tissue lactate and malondialdeyde levels in experimental head trauma

We studied the effects of nimodipine on brain tissue lactate and malondiald ehyde (MDA) levels one hour after experimental head trauma in 25 New Zealan d rabbits. Group 1(n=5) was the sham operated group. Group 2 (n=10) receive d head trauma without treatment and in group 3 (n=10) nimodipine was admini stered for 30 minutes intravenously (2 mug/kg/min) immediately after head t rauma. In groups 2 and 3, tissue samples from the nontraumatized side was n amed as "a" and traumatized side as "b". The lactate and malondialdehyde co ntents were significantly higher in groups 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b when compared with to group 1 (P <0.05). The differences between non-treated groups (2a, 2b) and nimodipine treated groups (3a, 3b) were not significant (P >0.05). The differences between the traumatized sides (2b, 3b) and non-traumatized sides (2a, 3a) were significant (P <0.05). These results demonstrated that nimodipine is ineffective in suppressing the increase of tissue lactate and malondialdehyde levels in the early period of experimental head trauma.