title: Neurotrophic effects of Cerebrolysin in animal models of excitotoxicity.
abstract: Excitotoxicity might play an important role in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. In the mouse brain, kainic acid (KA) lesioning results in neurodegeneration patterns similar to those found in human disease. For this study, two sets of experiments were performed in order to determine if Cerebrolysin ameliorates the alterations associated with KA administration. In the first set of experiments, mice received intraperitoneal KA injections followed by Cerebrolysin administration, while in the second, mice were pretreated with Cerebrolysin for 4 weeks and then challenged with KA. Behavioral testing in the water maze and assessment of neuronal structure by laser scanning confocal microscopy showed a significant protection against KA lesions in mice pretreated with Cerebrolysin. In contrast, mice that received Cerebrolysin after KA injections did not show significant improvement. This study supports the contention that Cerebrolysin might have a neuroprotective effect in vivo against excitotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla 92093-0624, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Veinbergs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mante
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mallory
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masliah
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C006952:cerebrolysin; D007608:Kainic Acid