The selective alpha2-adrenoreceptor antagonist,
atipamezole, improves behavioural performance of rats subjected to focal
cerebral ischemia. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the facilitatory effect of
atipamezole on behaviour is related to altered neuronal activity in specific brain areas. The right middle cerebral artery of rats was occluded for 120 min using the intraluminal filament method. Starting on day 2 after induction of
ischemia,
atipamezole (1mg/kg, s.c.) or
0.9% NaCl was administered to ischemic or
sham-operated rats once a day 30 min before the limb-placing test. [14C]
Deoxyglucose ([14C]DG) uptake was used to measure neuronal activity 30 min after
atipamezole or
0.9% NaCl administration on day 6 after
ischemia.
Ischemia induced a significant decrease in [14C]DG uptake in several cortical areas ipsilateral and contralateral to the lesion, in the ipsilateral thalamus, and bilaterally in the cerebellum and spinal cord. Administration of
atipamezole normalised [14C]DG uptake particularly in the cerebellum and spinal cord both in
sham-operated and ischemic rats and to a lesser extent in the thalamus in
sham-operated rats. The pattern of altered cerebral [14C]DG uptake following alpha2-adrenoceptor blockade suggests that plasticity in the cerebellum and spinal cord contributes to the improved performance of ischemic rats in tests assessing tactile/proprioceptive limb-placing reactions.