Inhibitory effects of dextromethorphan on c-fos protein expression during focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of dextromethorphan (DM) in focal cerebral ischemia.


METHODS
The c-fos protein was detected immunohistochemically in the brain of rats after focal cerebral ischemia (induced by placing a nylon thread in the lumen of the internal carotid artery) with and without treatment with DM.


RESULTS
Focal cerebral ischemia induced c-fos protein expression outside the core territory of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and neuronal damage in the core territory of the MCA. There was an evident expression of c-fos protein in the ipsilateral regions outside the MCA territory (e.g. cingulate cortices, piriform cortices and entorhinal cortices), and in the contralateral regions of hippocampus after 4-h reperfusion following 1-h MCA occlusion. But morphological results showed severe edema and neuronal damage in the core territory and the ipsilateral hippocampus. DM blocked both the c-fos protein induction and neuronal damage in all regions.


CONCLUSIONS
DM reduced c-fos protein expression and blocked the neuronal damage after focal cerebral ischemia.
Bao
W L
WL
State Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical University, China.
Lu
S D
SD
Cheng
J S
JS
Zhang
A Z
AZ
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003915:Dextromethorphan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D003915:Dextromethorphan