Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Results from several studies indicate that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is involved in ischemic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of the selective COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide on cerebral infarction and neurological deficits in a standardized model of transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Three doses of nimesulide (3, 6 and 12 mg/kg; i.p.) or vehicle were administered immediately after stroke and additional doses were given at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after ischemia. In other set of experiments, the effect of nimesulide was studied in a situation in which its first administration was delayed for 3-24 h after ischemia. Total, cortical and subcortical infarct volumes and functional outcome (assessed by neurological deficit score and rotarod performance) were determined 3 days after ischemia. The effect of nimesulide on prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) levels in the injured brain was also investigated. Nimesulide dose-dependently reduced infarct volume and improved functional recovery when compared to vehicle. Of interest is the finding that neuroprotection conferred by nimesulide (reduction of infarct size and neurological deficits and improvement of rotarod performance) was also observed when treatment was delayed until 24 h after ischemia. Further, administration of nimesulide in a delayed treatment paradigm completely abolished PGE(2) accumulation in the postischemic brain, suggesting that COX-2 inhibition is a promising therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemia to target the late-occurring inflammatory events which amplify initial damage.
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PMID:Wide therapeutic time window for nimesulide neuroprotection in a model of transient focal cerebral ischemia in the rat. 1506 40

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor nimesulide has a remarkable protective effect against different types of brain injury including ischemia. Since there are no reports on the effects of nimesulide on permanent ischemic stroke and because most cases of human stroke are caused by permanent occlusion of cerebral arteries, the present study was conducted to assess the neuroprotective efficacy of nimesulide on the cerebral infarction and neurological deficits induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) in the rat. METHODS: Ischemia was induced by permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats, via surgical insertion of a nylon filament into the internal carotid artery. Infarct volumes (cortical, subcortical and total) and functional recovery, assessed by neurological score evaluation and rotarod performance test, were performed 24 h after pMCAO. In initial experiments, different doses of nimesulide (3, 6 and 12 mg/kg; i.p) or vehicle were administered 30 min before pMCAO and again at 6, 12 and 18 h after stroke. In later experiments we investigated the therapeutic time window of protection of nimesulide by delaying its first administration 0.5-4 h after the ischemic insult. RESULTS: Repeated treatments with nimesulide dose-dependently reduced cortical, subcortical and total infarct volumes as well as the neurological deficits and motor impairment resulting from permanent ischemic stroke, but only the administration of the highest dose (12 mg/kg) was able to significantly (P < 0.01) diminish infarct volume. The lower doses failed to significantly reduce infarction but showed a beneficial effect on neurological function. Nimesulide (12 mg/kg) not only reduced infarct volume but also enhanced functional recovery when the first treatment was given up to 2 h after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that nimesulide protects against permanent focal cerebral ischemia, even with a 2 h post-treatment delay. These findings have important implications for the therapeutic potential of using COX-2 inhibitors in the treatment of stroke.
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PMID:Effects of the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor nimesulide on cerebral infarction and neurological deficits induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat. 1565 9

Nimesulide is a preferential inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and it is one of the most prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) worldwide. Nimesulide was recently shown to have neuroprotective properties in animal models of acute neurologic injury. In particular, nimesulide is highly effective in reducing ischemic brain injury. This neuroprotective efficacy has been demonstrated in animal models of transient and permanent focal cerebral ischemia, global brain ischemia, embolic stroke, and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Nimesulide has been shown to reduce infarction, improve neurological function, attenuate blood-brain barrier disruption and edema, and reduce leukocyte infiltration into the ischemic brain. These beneficial effects have been observed even when the first treatment is given several hours after the onset of ischemia, demonstrating the wide therapeutic time window for nimesulide's neuroprotection. This is of great relevance since most stroke patients reach the emergency room several hours after the onset of symptoms, a time at which most medical interventions are not effective. In addition, nimesulide produces a long-lasting neuroprotection. This is of importance since some 'neuroprotective' compounds only produce a delay in cell death, and not a permanent protection. Its several mechanisms of action in neuroprotection make nimesulide a desirable and promising candidate as therapy for acute brain ischemia. This article reviews recent knowledge on the effects of nimesulide against brain injury, with particular emphasis in cerebral ischemia, and makes a critical appraisal of its therapeutic potential in the management of patients with brain ischemia.
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PMID:Nimesulide as a promising neuroprotectant in brain ischemia: new experimental evidences. 1843 37