title: The 2-oxopyrrolidinacetamide piracetam reduces infarct brain volume induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in male rats.
abstract: In this study, the temporal development of focal cerebral infarction induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) and the effects of piracetam, a derivative of gamma-aminobutyric acid widely used in clinical practice as a nootropic agent, on infarct area and volume were investigated. pMCAO caused a cerebral infarct whose size progressively increased after 3, 6, 9, and 24 h. Piracetam (125 mg/kg i.p.), administered 6, 9, and 22 h after pMCAO, did not reduce pMCAO-induced brain infarct area size detected at the 24th hour. By contrast, when this agent was administered at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg, it caused a marked reduction of the infarct area size. This reduction was observed in almost every brain slice affected by pMCAO, although statistical differences (p <0.05) were detected in slices located at 3-5.5 mm posterior to the anterior pole in animals treated with 250 mg/kg piracetam and in slices located at 3.5-5 mm in those receiving 500 mg/kg. When the mean total volumes of brain infarct resulting from pMCAO were calculated, it was observed that in animals which had received piracetam (250 or 500 mg/kg) infarction volume was markedly ( approximately 50%) and significantly (p <0.05) reduced in comparison with saline injected rats. Finally, piracetam (250 mg/kg administered i.p. 6, 9, and 22 h after the ischemic insult) significantly reduced brain infarct area evaluated 48 h and 7 days after pMCAO.
authors.affiliation: University of Naples Federico II School of Medicine, Nuroscience Department, Via S Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tortiglione
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minale
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pignataro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amoroso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DiRenzo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Annunziato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010889:Piracetam