title: Magnesium protects against neurological deficit after brain injury.
abstract: The biochemical factors that mediate secondary or delayed damage to the central nervous system (CNS) remain speculative. We have recently demonstrated that brain injury in rats causes a rapid decline in brain intracellular free magnesium (Mg2+) and total magnesium concentrations that is significantly correlated with the severity of injury. In order to further investigate the relationship between Mg2+ and brain injury, we examined the effect of Mg2+ treatment on posttraumatic neurological outcome following fluid-percussion brain injury (2.0 atm) in rats. Since administration of ATP-MgCl2 has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of models of organ ischemia, we also examined the efficacy of ATP-MgCl2 or ATP alone in the treatment of experimental brain injury. Animals treated with low (12.5 mumol) or high (125 mumol) dose MgCl2 at 30 min postinjury showed a significant dose-dependent improvement in neurological function when compared to saline-treated controls. Treatment with ATP-MgCl2 (12.5 mumol) or ATP alone (12.5 mumol) caused no significant improvement in chronic neurological outcome. MgCl2-treated animals showed no change in postinjury mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), whereas animals treated with either ATP-MgCl2 or ATP alone showed a transient but significant fall in MAP (P less than 0.01) during the drug-infusion period. Our results suggest that postinjury treatment with MgCl2 is effective in limiting the extent of neurological dysfunction following experimental traumatic brain injury in the rat.
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06032.
authors: T K
authors: TK
authors: McIntosh
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Vink
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Yamakami
authors: A I
authors: AI
authors: Faden
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate