title: Preconditioning with L-alanyl-glutamine upon cerebral edema and hypocampus red neurons counting in rats subjected to brain ischemia/reperfusion injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of the dipeptide L-alanyl-glutamine (L-Ala-Gln) as a preconditioning agent to potentially promote reduction in the intensity of lesion or induction of resilience in rats subjected to global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six male Wistar rats weighing 280-300 g were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 6). Groups Sham 1h and 24h were treated with saline and spared of further interventions. The remaining groups were submitted to clamping of the common carotid arteries for 30 minutes (ischemia) and treated with saline (SS) or L-Ala-Gln. Brain reperfusion was allowed for 1 or 24 h. L-Ala-Gln was administered intravenously (0.75 g/kg) 30 minutes before sham procedure or induction of global brain I/R injury. Brain edema and red neuron counting were determined. Results were expressed as Mean ± SD for normal results and Median ± Percentile for non parametric data. Significance was established at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Global I/R injury promoted an increase in brain edema at 24 h after reperfusion, whereas preconditioning with L-Ala-Gln induced no change in edema. On the other hand, L-Ala-Gln preconditioning decreased significantly red neurons counting both at 1h and 24h post reperfusion (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a significant preconditioning effect with L-Ala-Gln decreasing cell death (red neurons counting) at early (1h) and late reperfusion (24h) in the cerebral tissue.
authors: Department of Surgery, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors: Paulo Roberto Cavalcante de
authors: PR
authors: Vasconcelos
authors: Department of Surgery, UFC, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors: André Brito Bastos
authors: AB
authors: Guimarães
authors: Department of Surgery, UFC, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors: Marcio Wilker Soares
authors: MW
authors: Campelo
authors: Department of Surgery, UFC, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors: Paulo Roberto Leitão de
authors: PR
authors: Vasconcelos
authors: Department of Surgery, UFC, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors: Sergio Botelho
authors: SB
authors: Guimaraes
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C054122:alanylglutamine