Effects of increasing times of incomplete cerebral ischemia upon the energy state and lipid peroxidation in the rat

Different times of incomplete cerebral ischemia (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 30 min) were induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion in anesthetized rats to evaluate the time course of changes in lipid peroxidation and energy metabolism. Analysis of malondialdehyde (used to assess the levels of lipid peroxidation), ascorbic acid, oxypurines, nucleosides, nicotinic coenzymes and high-energy phosphates, was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography on neutralized perchloric acid extract of brain tissue. Under the present experimental conditions, malondialdehyde, nicotinic coenzymes and ATP catabolites (oxypurines and nucleosides) were affected by increasing times of ischemia, with respect to control sham-operated rats. In particular, the concentration of malondialdehyde, undetectable in control brains, increased from 1.26 nmol/g wet weight after 2 min of carotid clamping to 13.42 nmol/g wet weight at the end of 30 min of incomplete cerebral ischemia. The presence of oxidative stress was further supported by ascorbic acid depletion, which was particularly significant after 10 and 30 min of incomplete ischemia. Carotid clamping provoked an imbalance between energy production and consumption that was evidenced by a reduction in ATP and GTP concentrations and an increase in ATP degradation products such as AMP. oxypurines and nucleosides. A decrement in the sum of adenine nucleotides and the energy charge potential indicated a progressive malfunctioning of energy-producing metabolic cycles. A possible contribution to such a severe change in energy state might be related to depletion of NAD and NADP, particularly noticeable after the longest incomplete brain ischemia times, that should have provoked a consequent lessening of oxido-reductive reactions. Bilateral carotid clamping causes a significant reduction in brain oxygen and substrate supply that results in inhibition of energy metabolism and triggering of oxygen-radical-induced lipid peroxidation.