The effect of eliprodil on the evolution of a focal cerebral ischaemia in vivo

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate in vivo the effect of a non competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor, eliprodil, on the size of a focal ischaemic insult and on its temporal evolution in a rat model, using a spin-echo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging multislice technique. Rats were either injected with 1 mg/kg i.v. of eliprodil or with the vehicle only (placebo) 5 min after middle cerebral artery occlusion, or not injected (controls). Ten coronal slices were acquired every hour, up to 7 h after occlusion of the artery, and the volume of hyperintense signals was measured at each time point and for each animal. Diffusion magnetic resonance images revealed that the administration of eliprodil reduced significantly (by 50% or more) the volume of ischaemia, up to 7 h after occlusion, particularly in the cortex of the ipsilateral hemisphere. The results show the potential efficacy of eliprodil to reduce the cerebral ischaemic volume after arterial occlusion, thus confirming the interest of glutamate receptor antagonists in the treatment of ischaemia.