title: Monteplase reduces infarct volume and hemorrhagic transformation in rat model of embolic stroke.
abstract: Monteplase, a modified recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), has a long half-life and reduces binding to plasminogen activator inhibitor. In this study we investigated whether its systemic administration reduces infarct volume without increasing the risk of intra-cerebral hemorrhage. The effect of the drug was tested on an embolic stroke rat model that uses white clots. Thirty minutes after clot embolization, rats were infused with 2.2 mg kg(-1) of monteplase or the same amount of saline, over 60 min. Relative regional cerebral blood flow had recovered 60 min after monteplase administration and infarct volume was significantly smaller 24 h after clot embolization in the monteplase-treated rats (47.0 mm3) than in the saline-treated rats (130.4 mm3). Also, the hemorrhagic transformation area was significantly smaller in monteplase-treated rats (0.8 mm2 vs. 18.0 mm2, respectively). These results indicate monteplase can be a promising thrombolytic agent for treatment of the acute stage of cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: Hironaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katayama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator