Effect of trapidil in ischemia/reperfusion injury of peripheral nerves.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Ischemia plays an important role in the development of pathological changes in nerve tissue, and restoration of blood flow results in injury (ischemia/reperfusion [I/R] injury) mediated by toxic oxygen free radicals. Trapidil is currently used as a coronary artery vasodilating agent and is also used for the prevention of ischemic symptoms of cerebral vasospasm. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of trapidil on I/R injury and the ischemic tolerance of rat peripheral nerves.

METHODS:

Preischemia or prereperfusion administration of trapidil (8 mg/kg) was evaluated in the rat sciatic nerve I/R injury model. Nerve tissue samples from the I/R injury site were assayed for malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrites, and nitrates, as markers of I/R injury, and pathological changes were evaluated by electron microscopy.

RESULTS:

I/R resulted in an increase in MDA levels, which remained elevated for 2 weeks in control nerves. Rats that received trapidil before ischemia exhibited decreased MDA levels, and rats that received trapidil after the standard 3 hours of ischemia demonstrated increased tolerance to reperfusion, as reflected in significantly decreased MDA levels. Nitrite and nitrate levels in trapidil-treated rats were significantly higher than those in control animals. Histological evaluations of the sciatic nerve segments demonstrated that preischemia and postischemia trapidil treatments had a sparing effect against the myelin damage and axonal edema that are consistently noted in untreated ischemic reperfused nerves.

CONCLUSION:

The results confirm that pretreatment with trapidil before the ischemic insult or before reperfusion provides marked protection against I/R injury in peripheral nerves.

• Authors: Celal Bagdatoglu, Aydin Saray, H Selcuk Surucu, Hakan Ozturk, Lulufer Tamer
• Journal: Neurosurgery (Neurosurgery) Vol. 51 Issue 1 Pg. 212-9; discussion 219-20 (Jul 2002) ISSN: 0148-396X [Print] United States
• PMID: 12182420 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Nitrates
• Nitrites
• Vasodilator Agents
• Malondialdehyde
• Trapidil

Topics

• Animals
• Ischemia (pathology, physiopathology)
• Male
• Malondialdehyde (metabolism)
• Microscopy, Electron
• Myelin Sheath (drug effects, pathology, physiology)
• Nitrates (metabolism)
• Nitrites (metabolism)
• Peripheral Nerves (drug effects, pathology, physiopathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Reperfusion Injury (pathology, physiopathology)
• Retrograde Degeneration (pathology, physiopathology)
• Sciatic Nerve (drug effects, pathology, physiopathology)
• Trapidil (pharmacology)
• Vasodilator Agents (pharmacology)