title: Neuroprotective effect of donepezil, a nicotinic acetylcholine-receptor activator, on cerebral infarction in rats.
abstract: This study evaluated the potential effect of donepezil, which is known as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, against cerebral infarction induced by permanent left middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Donepezil was given orally in various regimens, prior to MCA occlusion in rats. Pretreatment with a single oral dose of donepezil (12 mg/kg), 2 h before ischemia, significantly attenuated cerebral infarction volume (165.5 +/- 105.3 vs. 377.1 +/- 48.5 mm(3); P < 0.05). These neuroprotective effects were prevented by coinjection with mecamylamine, a nicotinic acetylcholine-receptor (nAChR) antagonist, indicating that protection was mediated by nAChR activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Oita University, Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan. fujiki@med.oita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiki
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000077265:Donepezil; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007189:Indans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D010880:Piperidines; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D000077265:Donepezil