Turkish Neurosurgery 2013 , Vol 23 , Num 2
Effects of Intracisternal and Intravenous Dexmedetomidine on Ischemia-Induced Brain Injury in Rat: A Comparative Study
Emine Arzu KOSE1, Bulent BAKAR2, Omur KASIMCAN2, Pergin ATILLA3, Kamer KILINC4, Sevda MUFTUOGLU3, Alpaslan APAN1
1Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Kirikkale, Turkey
2Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Kirikkale, Turkey
3Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ankara, Turkey
4Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.6757-12.0 AIM: To compare the effect of dexmedetomidine administered by intracisternal route with by intravenous route on brain tissue of rat after incomplete cerebral ischemia.

MATERIAL and METHODS: Cerebral ischemia was produced by the combination of right common carotid artery occlusion and hemorrhagic hypotension during 30 minutes. Thirty minutes before the ischemia, 0.1 ml 0.9% NaCl (Group SIC, n=6) or 9 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (Group DIC, n=6) was administered into the cisterna magna. For the intravenous groups, 9 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (Group DIV, n=6) or 0.9% NaCl (Group CONTROL, n=6) 5 ml/kg/h was given in 2 hours. After 24 hours, the lipid peroxidation levels were measured in the brain tissue and plasma. Hippocampal formations were used for histopathological examination.

RESULTS: Intravenous dexmedetomidine produced a decrease in baseline mean arterial blood pressure and plasma glucose concentrations. There was a significant difference between the DIV group and DIC, SIC, CONTROL groups regarding the brain lipid peroxidation levels (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.001, respectively), and regarding the picnotic neuronal cell count (p<0.001, p=0.01, p=0.009, respectively). Mean plasma lipid peroxidation levels of the DIV group was different from the DIC group (p=0.003).

CONCLUSION: Systemically administered dexmedetomidine had neuroprotective effect in ischemia-induced neuronal damage, but centrally administered dexmedetomidine did not. Keywords : Dexmedetomidine, Intracisternal, Intravenous, Ischemia, Brain injury

Corresponding author : Emine Arzu Kose, arzuhct@hotmail.com