Effects of Different Doses of Pentoxifylline on CA1 Pyramidal Cells of Hippocampus following Brain Ischemia in Rats

Cerebral ischemic/reperfusion causes severe brain damage, especially in CA1region of hippocampus. Nowadays, vasodilator drugs such as pentoxifylline are consideredfor their neuroprotective effects, but there is no study on possible neurotrophic effectsof this drug and its effective dose on CA1 pyramidal cells of hippocampus in transientglobal ischemic/reperfusion on experimental models.

In this study male Wistarrats (n=30) in experimental groups 1, 2 and 3 were injected intraperitoneally by 200, 400and 600 mg/kg pentoxifylline respectively one hour before and one hour after ischemia.Other groups were control, sham and vehicle (normal saline). Four days after ischemia,brains were removed and prepared for histological study (Nissl Method).

Our datashowed that there was no significant difference between the number of viable pyramidalcells in CA1 region of hippocampus in control and 200 mg/kg pentoxifylline treated groups.

It seems that the neuroprotective effect of 200 mg/kg pentoxifylline may beaccompanied by a reduction of ischemic damage in CA1 region of hippocampus in rats thatwere subjected to transient global cerebral ischemia.