Abstract
The volatile anesthetic agent isoflurane was thought to provide neuroprotection against ischemic damage; however, this effect remains controversial. Using the middle cerebral artery occlusion model and intracerebral microdialysis, the authors monitored the variations of glutamate and taurine concentrations in the extra-cellular space in male rats anesthetized with pentobarbital or isoflurane. Brain injury and edema were evaluated 24 h after ischemia. Isoflurane prevented the ischemia-induced efflux of glutamate and reduced the release of taurine. No difference in the size of the brain lesions was observed with both anesthetics, and isoflurane induced the formation of a bigger brain edema and reduced taurine release. These results suggest that inhibiting glutamate release during ischemia may not be sufficient to improve brain outcome after transient ischemia.
Abbreviations | ||
MCAO | = | middle cerebral artery occlusion |
ECA | = | external carotid artery |
ICA | = | internal carotid artery |
aCSF | = | artificial cerebrospinal fluid |
AEC | = | 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole |
MAP-2 | = | microtubule associated protein 2 |
GFAP | = | glial fibrillary acidic protein. |
Abbreviations | ||
MCAO | = | middle cerebral artery occlusion |
ECA | = | external carotid artery |
ICA | = | internal carotid artery |
aCSF | = | artificial cerebrospinal fluid |
AEC | = | 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole |
MAP-2 | = | microtubule associated protein 2 |
GFAP | = | glial fibrillary acidic protein. |