Nefiracetam improves the impairment of local cerebral blood flow and glucose utilization after chronic focal cerebral ischemia in rats

In this study we investigated the effects of nefiracetam (DM-9384) on local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and local cerebral glucose utilization (LCMRglc) in the chronic phase after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats. Nefiracetam (10 mg/kg) was administered orally once a day for 2 weeks from day 15 after MCA occlusion. On day 28 after MCA occlusion, LCBF and LCMRglc. were measured by an autoradiographic image-processing method. In MCA-occluded rats, LCBF and LCMRglc in the ischemic side of seven regions including the frontal cortex were significant decreased compared with those of the nonischemic side. Nefiracetam significantly improved the impairment of LCBF in the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, caudate putamen, ventral thalamus, amygdaloid nucleus and hippocampus. It also improved the decrease of LCMRglc in the frontal cortex, ventral thalamus and hippocampus. These results suggested that nefiracetam has ameliorating effects on chronic disorders of LCBF and LCMRglc, induced by MCA occlusion. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.