Gabapentin reduces infarct volume but does not suppress peri-infarct depolarizations

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2011 Jul;31(7):1578-82. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2011.50. Epub 2011 Apr 20.

Abstract

Spreading depression (SD) is an intense depolarization wave implicated in brain injury. In focal ischemia, recurrent peri-infarct depolarization (PID) waves akin to SD worsen the ischemic injury by exacerbating the blood flow-metabolism mismatch. We recently showed that gabapentin suppresses SD. We, therefore, tested gabapentin on PIDs and stroke outcome. Gabapentin pretreatment (200 mg/kg, intravenously) reduced the infarct volume by 23% after transient focal ischemia in mice. However, the frequency and duration of PIDs were not suppressed when recorded for 2 hours during ischemia, suggesting that gabapentin reduces infarct volume independent of PID suppression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amines / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Brain Infarction / pathology
  • Brain Infarction / physiopathology
  • Brain Infarction / prevention & control
  • Brain Ischemia / pathology*
  • Brain Ischemia / physiopathology
  • Brain Ischemia / prevention & control*
  • Cortical Spreading Depression / drug effects
  • Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / therapeutic use*
  • Gabapentin
  • Ischemic Attack, Transient / pathology
  • Ischemic Attack, Transient / physiopathology
  • Ischemic Attack, Transient / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Amines
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Gabapentin