gms | German Medical Science

57th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery
Joint Meeting with the Japanese Neurosurgical Society

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

11 - 14 May, Essen

Intrathecal neuroprotection in acute focal cerebral ischemia in rats

Intrathekale Neuroprotektion im akuten fokalen zerebralen Schlaganfall der Ratte

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author S. Göricke - Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen
  • T. Engelhorn - Abteilung für Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen
  • U. Speck - Institut für Radiologie, Charité Berlin
  • W. Becker - Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen
  • M. Forsting - Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen
  • A. Dörfler - Abteilung für Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Japanische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 57. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Essen, 11.-14.05.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocSO.06.09

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2006/06dgnc199.shtml

Published: May 8, 2006

© 2006 Göricke et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Objective: To evaluate the neuroprotective efficacy of the intrathecally administered steroid triamcinolonacetonide (TCA) on infarction volume in acute focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Methods: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in 102 Wistar rats using an endovascular occlusion technique of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). In a first dose-finding study, different doses of TCA (0.3, 0.03, 0.012, 0.006, or 0.003 mg/kg b.w.) were administered into the cisterna magna of 12 rats every 30 minutes after MCAO. Twelve animals received equivolumetric saline intrathecally. In a second MR-controlled confirmation study, the neuroprotective efficacy of the most effective dose was compared to controls in 15 rats each. Within 1 hour after intrathecal administration diffusion-weighted MRI and T1-weighted MRI was performed to confirm successful MCAO and successful drug administration by enhancement of the intrathecal TCA/Gd-DTPA-mixture. Final infarction volume was calculated 24 hours after MCAO by TTC-staining in all animals.

Results: Experiment 1: Compared to controls (18.2±5.0%), infarction volume was significantly reduced using TCA at a dose of 0.012 mg/kg (13.4±5.3%, p=0.04). TCA 0.03 mg/kg (17.7±6.9%, p=0.84), 0.006 mg/kg (15.9±4.2%, p=0.24), and 0.003 mg/kg (14.5±5.2%, p=0.11) did not significantly reduce infarction size, whereas TCA 0.3 mg/kg resulted in bilateral infarction with increased infarction volume (19.8±5.0%, p=0.49).

Experiment 2: Successful MCAO and intrathecal drug administration was confirmed in all animals using diffusion-weighted MRI and T1-weighted images. Compared to controls (20.0± 8.0%) final infarction volume was significantly reduced in animals treated with TCA 0.012 mg/kg (13.4±6,5%, p=0.02).

Conclusions: Intrathecal steroids may significantly reduce infarction volume in permanent focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Further studies, focusing on long-term effects and clinical outcome, are necessary to assess the therapeutic value. MRI is suitable for non-invasive monitoring of intrathecal neuroprotection.