title: Protective effects of nimodipine on cerebrovascular function in chronic alcoholic encephalopathy.
abstract: In the present study, we used chronic gavage administration of alcohol with gradual increases in alcohol concentration and volume to generate a rat model of chronic alcohol intoxication. We measured the changes in biological, behavioral, pathological and vascular injury-related molecular biological markers, and explored the effects of nimodipine intervention on alcohol intoxication. We found that chronic alcohol consumption induced a variety of behavioral abnormalities, accompanied by severe pathological changes in cerebral arterioles, prefrontal cortex and cerebellar tissue, as well as an upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leptin receptor (ob-R) and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Treatment with mimodipine for 15 days significantly improved behavioral abnormalities, alleviated the pathological changes in blood vessels and brain tissues, increased VEGF expression, decreased ob-R expression, reduced plasma ET-1 leakage and protected vascular and neuronal functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jinan Fourth People's Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guangshen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Qinzhou
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Chunli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000425:Alcohol Amnestic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015536:Down-Regulation; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D020011:Protective Agents; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D009553:Nimodipine