The mechanisms of brain ischemic insult and potential protective interventions.
The mechanisms of brain ischemic insult include glutamate excitoxicity, calcium toxicity, free radicals, nitric oxide, inflammatory reactions, as well as dysfunctions of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrion. These injury cascades are interconnected in complex ways, thus it is hard to compare their pathogenic importances in ischemia models. And the research in cellular and molecular pathways has spurred the studies in potential neuroprotections mainly in pharmacological fields, such as anti-excitotoxic treatment, calcium-channel antagonism, approaches for inhibition of oxidation, inflammation and apoptosis, etc. Besides, other protective interventions including thrombolysis, arteriogenesis, regeneration therapy, and ischemia preconditioning or postconditioning, are also under investigations. Despite the present difficulties, we are quite optimistic towards future clinical applications of neuroprotective agents, by optimizing experimental approaches and clinical trials.
Guo
Zhao-Hui
ZH
Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China.
Li
Feng
F
Wang
Wei-Zhi
WZ
D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents