on April 1, 2004
Published online before print April 1, 2004, doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000125855.17686.6d
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Submitted on September 29, 2003
From Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie (C.C., V.J., W.K., J.K.), Philipps-Universität, Marburg, Germany; Department Pharmazie (C.C.) and Institut für Chirurgische Forschung (S.T., N.P.), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ccuph{at}cup.uni-muenchen.de.
Background and Purpose--Although excitotoxic overactivation of glutamate receptors has been identified as a major mechanism of ischemic brain damage, glutamate receptor antagonists failed in stroke trials, in most cases because of limited therapeutic windows or severe adverse effects. Therefore, we chose memantine and clenbuterol, both approved safe and efficient in their respective therapeutical categories, and examined combinations of these neuroprotectants for possible therapeutic interactions in ischemic stroke. Methods--Combinations of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine (20 mg/kg) with the Results--The infarct size was further reduced by combination therapy as compared with effects of the respective neuroprotectants alone. Of note, in combination with memantine, the therapeutic window of clenbuterol was significantly prolonged up to 2 hours after ischemia. Experiments in postnatal cultures of rat hippocampal neurons exposed to glutamate or staurosporine confirmed that neuroprotection by combinations of memantine and clenbuterol exceeded the effects of the individual compounds. Conclusions--Combinations of memantine with clenbuterol extend the respective therapeutic window and provide synergistic cerebroprotective effects after stroke.
Revised on January 20, 2004
Accepted on January 21, 2004
Combination Therapy in Ischemic Stroke: Synergistic Neuroprotective Effects of Memantine and Clenbuterol
Carsten Culmsee PhD*;
2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (0.3 to 3 mg/kg) were tested in a mouse model of permanent focal cerebral ischemia. In addition, combinations of memantine (1 to 10 nmol/L) and clenbuterol (1 to 10 nmol/L) were examined in cultured hippocampal neurons exposed to glutamate (500 µmol/L) or staurosporine (200 nmol/L).
Key words: cerebral ischemia • N-methyl-D-aspartate • neurons • glutamates
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