Probucol Attenuates Oxidative Stress, Energy Starvation, and Nitric Acid Production Following Transient Forebrain Ischemia in the Rat Hippocampus

Oxidative stress and energy depletion are believed to participate in hippocampal neuronal damage after forebrain ischemia. This study has been initiated to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of probucol, a lipid-lowering drug with strong antioxidant properties, against transient forebrain ischemia-induced neuronal damage and biochemical abnormalities in rat hippocampal CA1 region. Adult male Wistar albino rats were subjected to forebrain ischemia and injected with probucol for the next 7 successive days, and compared to controls. Forebrain ischemia resulted in a significant decrease in the number of intact neurons (77%), glutathione (GSH), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total nitrate/nitrite, (NO(x)) production in hippocampal tissues. The administration of probucol attenuated forebrain ischemia-induced neuronal damage, manifested as a complete reversal of the decrease in the number of intact neurons, ATP and GSH and the increase in TBARS and NO(x) in hippocampal tissues. This study demonstrates that probucol treatment abates forebrain ischemia-induced hippocampal neuronal loss, energy depletion, and oxidative stress in hippocampal CA1 region. Thus, probucol could be a promising neuroprotective agent in the treatment of forebrain ischemia.