Effects of sabiporide, a specific Na+/H+ exchanger inhibitor, on neuronal cell death and brain ischemia

We investigated the effects of an Na+/H+ exchanger inhibitor, sabiporide, on excitotoxicity in cultured neuronal cells and in vivo. Sabiporide attenuated glutamate- or NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartic acid)-induced neuronal cell death. Sabiporide also reduced glutamate or NMDA-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. In in vivo brain ischemia model, sabiporide produced protective effects, decreasing the infarct size and edema volume. Our results suggest that sabiporide elicits neuroprotective effect both in vitro and in vivo.