title: Neuroprotective effects of dexmedetomidine conditioning strategies: Evidences from an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dexmedetomidine is a selective agonist of α2-adrenergic receptors with clinical anesthetic and analgesic properties that has also shown neuroprotective effects on several models of brain injury. Because perioperative stroke and brain damage are frequent causes of death in critical care units, we aimed to investigate neuroprotective properties of dexmedetomidine using an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary mixed rat brain cortical cultures were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation and treated with different doses of dexmedetomidine in order to analyze three conditioning strategies: preconditioning, intraconditioning and postconditioning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All dexmedetomidine pre-, intra- and postconditioning treatments showed neuroprotective effects reducing brain cell necrosis, although only preconditioning showed antiapoptotic effects. Dexmedetomidine treatments also reduced IL-6 and TNF-α levels, especially in the preconditioning groups. Oxidative stress was attenuated with all dexmedetomidine preconditioning treatments, but only with the higher dose in the intraconditioning group, and no effects were observed in the postconditioning. All conditioning strategies increased BDNF levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexmedetomidine-mediated neuroprotective effects in an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia involve the attenuation of inflammation and oxidative stress and the increment of BDNF expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, CLINURSID Research group, School of Nursing, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Critical Patient Translational Research Group, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: raquel_rg82@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-González
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: tomas.sobrino.moreiras@sergas.es.
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sobrino
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Critical Patient Translational Research Group, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: svsans@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Critical Patient Translational Research Group, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: pabblolp@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: javier.rodriguez.garcia@sergas.es.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Critical Patient Translational Research Group, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: veiras1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sonia Veiras
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: del Río
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Critical Patient Translational Research Group, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: mariauror@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baluja
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: jose.castillo@usc.es.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Critical Patient Translational Research Group, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: julian.alvarez.escudero@sergas.es.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Álvarez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020927:Dexmedetomidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D057775:Ischemic Postconditioning; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D009336:Necrosis; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020927:Dexmedetomidine
keywords: Brain; Cell death; Cerebral ischemia; Dexmedetomidine; Inflammation; Oxidative stress