title: The neuroprotective effect of dexmedetomidine in the hippocampus of rabbits after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a serious condition, often accompanied by cerebral vasospasm, which may lead to brain ischemia and neurologic deterioration. We evaluated if dexmedetomidine has neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus of vasospastic SAH rabbits or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen New Zealand rabbits were taken. An experimental SAH model was formed by injecting 0.9 mL of autologous arterial blood per 1 kg of body weight to the cisterna magna of 12 rabbits. Craniotomy was performed in the control group (n = 6) except performing experimental SAH. Rabbits in the SAH-alone (n = 6) group were infused with 5 mL.kg(-1).h(-1) 0.9% sodium chloride, and rabbits (n = 6) in the SAH-dexmedetomidine group were infused with 5 microg.kg(-1).h(-1) dexmedetomidine for 2 hours, 48 hours after SAH was established. Rabbits of all groups were sacrificed via penthotal 24 hours after dexmedetomidine administration. Brains were removed immediately, and hippocampal tissues were blocked from the right hemisphere for histopathologic study. In addition to this, hippocampal tissues of left hemispheres were dissected for biochemical analyses to evaluate MDA levels, activity of XO, and SOD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The histopathologic study showed that dexmedetomidine may have a neuroprotective effect in SAH-induced hippocampal injuries. The biochemical parameters support the neuroprotective effect of dexmedetomidine (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that dexmedetomidine may have a neuroprotective effect in the hippocampus of vasospastic SAH rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kocatepe University, 03000 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. drcosar@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosar
authors.forename: Olcay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eser
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fidan
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Sadik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buyukbas
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ela
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yagmurca
authors.forename: Oguz A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ozen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016877:Oxidants; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D020927:Dexmedetomidine; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase