Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Infarct Volume and Neurological Deficits after the Embolic Model of Stroke in Rat

Evidences suggest that acid ascorbic (AA) has antioxidative effects and stroke patients with high levels of acide ascorbic (AA), show better behavioral outcomes. In this study, the neuroprotective effect of AA, was investigated 3 hours after embolic model of cerebral ischemia. In this experimental study, rats were assigned to vehicle, AA and sham-operation. Stroke was induced by embolizing a preformed clot into the right MCA. For measuring infarct volume, 48 h later, the brain was removed, sectioned and stained with triphenyltetrazolum chloride and analyzed by a commercial image processing software program. Behavioral tests including neurological deficits and sensory impairment were also applied at 24 and 48 hours after the embolization. The infarct volume in control and AA groups was 29.41± 2.6% and 9.52±1.57%, respectively. Compared to the control group, AA significantly decreased infarct volume (p<0.001). AA late therapy also improved neurological deficits (p<0.05) and sensory impairments (p<0.001) at 48 h after the stroke. Our data showed that AA may have beneficial effects on treatment and management of stroke. Further studies should be undertaken to clarify the neuroprotective effects of AA after stroke.