The N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist CNS 1102 protects cerebral gray and white matter from ischemic injury following temporary focal ischemia in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Cerebral white matter is as sensitive as gray matter to ischemic injury and is probably amenable to pharmacological intervention. In this study we investigated whether an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, CNS 1102, protects not only cerebral gray matter but also white matter from ischemic injury.


METHODS
Ten rats underwent 15 minutes of temporary focal ischemia and were blindly assigned to CNS 1102 intravenous bolus injection (1. 13 mg/kg) followed by intravenous infusion (0.33 mg/kg per hour) for 3.75 hours or to vehicle (n=5 per group) immediately after reperfusion. Seventy-two hours after ischemia, the animals were perfusion fixed for histology. The severity of neuronal necrosis in the cortex and striatum was semiquantitatively analyzed. The Luxol fast blue-periodic acid Schiff stain and Bielschowsky's silver stain were used to measure optical densities (ODs) of myelin and axons, respectively, in the internal capsule of both hemispheres, and the OD ratio was calculated to reflect the severity of white matter damage.


RESULTS
Neuronal damage in both the cortex and the striatum was significantly better in the drug-treated group than in the placebo group (P<0.05). The OD ratio of both the axons (0.93+/-0.08 versus 0.61+/-0.18; P<0.01) and the myelin sheath (0.95+/-0.07 versus 0.67+/-0.19; P=0.01) was significantly higher in the CNS 1102 group than in the placebo group. The neurological score was significantly improved in the drug-treated group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The NMDA receptor antagonist CNS 1102 protects not only cerebral gray matter but also white matter from ischemic injury, most probably by preventing degeneration of white matter structures such as myelin and axons.
Schäbitz
W R
WR
Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
Li
F
F
Fisher
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000166:cytology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006146:Guanidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000188:drug therapy; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D006146:Guanidines; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C079779:aptiganel