Neuroprotective effect of s-methylisothiourea in transient focal cerebral ischemia in rat

Over production of NO by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the brain parenchyma has been demonstrated to contribute to tissue damage. NO may be toxic by formation of peroxinitrite after a reaction between NO and superoxide appears to be one of the major pathways leading to cell death. Of three types of NOS, nNOS is neurotoxic in early and iNOS in late stage of transient cerebral ischemia (TFCI), while eNOS is neuroprotective in all stages. We examined the neuroprotective effect of a preferential iNOS inhibitor s-methylisothiourea (SMT) at 0, 8, 24 and 48 h as multiple injections (30 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) in ischemia and reperfusion injury in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (2 h) and reperfusion (72 h). After 2 h of ischemia and 72 h of reperfusion, animals were sacrificed for studying the infarct volume, brain edema and apoptosis and neuro-behavioral abnormality was assessed at 24, 48 and 72 h of reperfusion. SMT reduced significantly the infarct volume, neuro-behavioral abnormality, brain edema, number of apoptotic cells in penumbra and NOx levels in plasma and brain both at 30 and 100 mg/kg in dose-dependent manner. The amount of peroxynitrite measured by rhodamine assay was significantly reduced by SMT, as compared to control group. SMT protected Neuro 2a cells against sodium azide-induced damage. It is concluded that, SMT may possibly targeting both constitutive as well as inducible NOS at varying time interval to elicit neuroprotection in TFCI rats.