title: MK-801 prevents hippocampal neurodegeneration in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic rats.
abstract: In cerebral asphyxia, enhanced postsynaptic stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor by excessive glutamate may mediate neuronal injury and death. The neuroprotective potential of the novel, potent NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 was assessed by evaluating hippocampal behavioral and histologic outcomes in an experimental rat model of neonatal hypoxia/ischemia. Seven-day-old rats with and without MK-801 pretreatment were subjected to unilateral carotid ligation followed by 2 hours of hypoxia. At age 30 days, spontaneous alternation behavior was measured using a conventional wooden T maze. Hypoxic-ischemic animals pretreated with saline demonstrated a significant impairment in spontaneous alternation behavior compared with that of normal control rats and the hypoxic-ischemic rats pretreated with MK-801. Hippocampal neuronal damage in the CA1 and CA3 regions was prevented in animals pretreated with MK-801 vs saline-treated controls. Therefore, while saline-treated rats with hippocampal lesions showed defective memory and hippocampal neuronal destruction, pretreatment with MK-801 protected rats. Thus, MK-801 appears to protect hippocampal neurons from hypoxia/ischemia and may be potentially beneficial in preventing neonatal asphyxial brain damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Sanberg
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Fogelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter
chemical_list: D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate