Abstract

The increased content of calcium (Ca2+), excitatory amino acids (EAA) and endothelin (ET) as well as the decreased magnesium (Mg2+) in brain tissue with acute cerebral infarction will aggravate local damage. We measured the changes in Ca2+, EAA, ET and Mg2+in brain tissues of mice after acute cerebral infarction to assess the protective effects of subhypothermia. A total of 48 SD mice were randomly divided into a subhypothermia group and a control group; each was divided into 4 subgroups (6 mice in each). An improved thread embolism method was used as a middle cerebral artery infracted model. Subhypothermia was only administered to the treatment group. Mice were killed 1, 2, 4 and 8 h after infarction. The content of Ca2+, EAA and ET in ischemic brain tissues increased with the duration of ischemic time and the concentration of Mg2+fell in the control group. Compared with the control group, there was a significant difference in these changes in the subhypothermia group (P < 0.01). Subhypothermia can significantly inhibit the increase of harmful factors such as Ca2+, EAA and ET in ischemic brain tissues of experimental animals and the decrease of the protective Mg2+.

Keywords: Subhypothermia, calcium, magnesium, excitatory amino acids, endothelin, acute cerebral infarction