Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Chronic dexamethasone pretreatment aggravates ischemic neuronal necrosis

Koide, T. ; Wieloch, T. LU and Siesjo, B. K. (1986) In Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 6(4). p.395-404
Abstract
This study addresses the question of whether the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and diclofenac and the glucocorticosteroid dexamethasone ameliorate neuronal necrosis following cerebral ischemia. In addition, since these drugs inhibit the production of prostaglandins and depress phospholipase A2 activity, respectively, the importance of free fatty acids (FFAs) on the development of ischemic neuronal damage was assessed. Neuronal damage was determined in the rat brain at 1 week following 10 min of forebrain ischemia. The cyclooxygenase inhibitors, whether given before or after ischemia, failed to alter the brain damage incurred. Animals given dexamethasone were divided into three groups and the drug was administered at a constant... (More)
This study addresses the question of whether the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and diclofenac and the glucocorticosteroid dexamethasone ameliorate neuronal necrosis following cerebral ischemia. In addition, since these drugs inhibit the production of prostaglandins and depress phospholipase A2 activity, respectively, the importance of free fatty acids (FFAs) on the development of ischemic neuronal damage was assessed. Neuronal damage was determined in the rat brain at 1 week following 10 min of forebrain ischemia. The cyclooxygenase inhibitors, whether given before or after ischemia, failed to alter the brain damage incurred. Animals given dexamethasone were divided into three groups and the drug was administered at a constant dosage of 2 mg/kg: (a) 2 days, 1 day, and 3 h intraperitoneally before (chronic pretreatment), (b) 3 h intraperitoneally before (acute pretreatment), and (c) 5 min intravenously and 6 h and 1 day intraperitoneally after (chronic posttreatment) induction of ischemia. Acute pretreatment did not affect the histopathological outcome. Chronic posttreatment of animals with dexamethasone ameliorated the damage inflicted on the caudate nucleus, but had no effect on other brain areas investigated. Unexpectedly, the chronic pretreatment aggravated the brain damage and caused seizures following ischemia. Histopathological data showed massive neuronal damage in these brains. The accumulation of FFA levels during ischemia was markedly suppressed, and the decrease in the energy charge was curtailed by chronic pretreatment with dexamethasone. However, brain glucose levels in control animals and lactic acid concentrations following 10 min of ischemia were significantly higher both in the cerebral cortex and in the hippocampus of dexamethasone-treated animals. These results suggest that aggravation of neuronal necrosis by chronic dexamethasone pretreatment could be ascribed to lactic acidosis due to hyperglycemia in combination with an action of dexamethasone on glucocorticoid receptors in the brain. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
volume
6
issue
4
pages
10 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:3090061
  • scopus:0022492145
ISSN
0271-678X
DOI
10.1038/jcbfm.1986.72
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
66fa9ab3-8d0c-4854-8aa2-0f2de7eb0bc7
date added to LUP
2019-06-13 17:46:05
date last changed
2024-01-01 10:34:46
@article{66fa9ab3-8d0c-4854-8aa2-0f2de7eb0bc7,
  abstract     = {{This study addresses the question of whether the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and diclofenac and the glucocorticosteroid dexamethasone ameliorate neuronal necrosis following cerebral ischemia. In addition, since these drugs inhibit the production of prostaglandins and depress phospholipase A2 activity, respectively, the importance of free fatty acids (FFAs) on the development of ischemic neuronal damage was assessed. Neuronal damage was determined in the rat brain at 1 week following 10 min of forebrain ischemia. The cyclooxygenase inhibitors, whether given before or after ischemia, failed to alter the brain damage incurred. Animals given dexamethasone were divided into three groups and the drug was administered at a constant dosage of 2 mg/kg: (a) 2 days, 1 day, and 3 h intraperitoneally before (chronic pretreatment), (b) 3 h intraperitoneally before (acute pretreatment), and (c) 5 min intravenously and 6 h and 1 day intraperitoneally after (chronic posttreatment) induction of ischemia. Acute pretreatment did not affect the histopathological outcome. Chronic posttreatment of animals with dexamethasone ameliorated the damage inflicted on the caudate nucleus, but had no effect on other brain areas investigated. Unexpectedly, the chronic pretreatment aggravated the brain damage and caused seizures following ischemia. Histopathological data showed massive neuronal damage in these brains. The accumulation of FFA levels during ischemia was markedly suppressed, and the decrease in the energy charge was curtailed by chronic pretreatment with dexamethasone. However, brain glucose levels in control animals and lactic acid concentrations following 10 min of ischemia were significantly higher both in the cerebral cortex and in the hippocampus of dexamethasone-treated animals. These results suggest that aggravation of neuronal necrosis by chronic dexamethasone pretreatment could be ascribed to lactic acidosis due to hyperglycemia in combination with an action of dexamethasone on glucocorticoid receptors in the brain.}},
  author       = {{Koide, T. and Wieloch, T. and Siesjo, B. K.}},
  issn         = {{0271-678X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{395--404}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism}},
  title        = {{Chronic dexamethasone pretreatment aggravates ischemic neuronal necrosis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/jcbfm.1986.72}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/jcbfm.1986.72}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{1986}},
}