Effects of nimodipine on changes of endothelin after head injury in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of nimodipine on changes of endothelin after head injury.


METHODS
Sixty-five adult rabbits were randomized into an injury group (IG, n=30), a nimodipine-treatment group (NTG, n=30) and a control group (CG, n=5). With their heads unfixed, the animals in IG and NTG were injured in the frontal-parietal zone with BIM-II bioimpact. Blood samples and brain tissue were collected before and after injury. The endothelin level was measured with RIA.


RESULTS
The endothelin level in plasma and brain tissue was significantly increased 24 hours after injury. At the 8th or/and 24th hours postinjury, the endothelin level was significantly lower in NTG than that in IG.


CONCLUSIONS
Nimodipine can prevent endothelin from elevation and act as a practical endothelin antagonist after head injury clinically.
Shen
G
G
Department of Neurosurgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Zhou
Y
Y
Xu
M
M
Liu
B
B
Xu
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016232:Endothelins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D016232:Endothelins; D009553:Nimodipine