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(Stroke. 2000;31:1679.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Delayed Treatment With Nicotinamide (Vitamin B₃) Improves Neurological Outcome and Reduces Infarct Volume After Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Wistar Rats

Toshihiko Mokudai, MD; Issam A. Ayoub, MSc, MD; Yohtaro Sakakibara, MD; E-Jian Lee, MD; Christopher S. Ogilvy, MD Kenneth I. Maynard, MSc, PhD

From the Neurophysiology Laboratory (I.A.A., Y.S., C.S.O., K.I.M.), Neurosurgical Service, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; the Department of Neurosurgery (T.M.), Kochi Medical School, Kochi, Japan; and the Division of Neurosurgery (E.-J.L.), Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Medical Center and Medical School, Tainan, Taiwan.

Correspondence to Dr Kenneth I. Maynard, Neurophysiology Laboratory, Neurosurgical Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, EDR 414, Boston, MA 02114. E-mail maynard{at}helix.mgh.harvard.edu

Background and Purpose—We have previously shown that nicotinamide (NAm) acutely reduces brain infarction induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in rats. In this study, we investigate whether NAm may protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury by improving sensory and motor behavior as well as brain infarction volumes in a model of transient focal cerebral ischemia.

Methods—Forty-eight male Wistar rats were used, and transient focal cerebral ischemia was induced by MCAo for 2 hours, followed by reperfusion for either 3 or 7 days. Animals were treated with either intraperitoneal saline or NAm (500 mg/kg) 2 hours after the onset of MCAo (ie, on reperfusion). Sensory and motor behavior scores and body weight were obtained daily, and brain infarction volumes were measured on euthanasia.

Results—Relative to treatment with saline, treatment with NAm (500 mg/kg IP) 2 hours after the onset of transient focal cerebral ischemia in Wistar rats significantly improved sensory (38%, P<0.005) and motor (42%, P<0.05) neurological behavior and weight gain (7%, P<0.05) up to 7 days after MCAo. The cerebral infarct volumes were also reduced 46% (P<0.05) at 3 days and 35% (P=0.09) at 7 days after MCAo.

Conclusions—NAm is a robust neuroprotective agent against ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury in rats, even when administered up to 2 hours after the onset of stroke. Delayed NAm treatment improved both anatomic and functional indices of brain damage. Further studies are needed to clarify whether multiple doses of NAm will improve the extent and duration of this neuroprotective effect and to determine the mechanism(s) of action underlying the neuroprotection observed. Because NAm is already used clinically in large doses and has few side effects, these results are encouraging for the further examination of the possible use of NAm as a therapeutic neuroprotective agent in the clinical treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Editorial Comment

Kenneth Maiese, MD, Guest Editor

Departments of Neurology and Anatomy & Cell Biology Centers for Molecular Medicine and Molecular Toxicology Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, Michigan

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