In vivo study of the utility of selective intra-arterial injection of thiopental for neuroprotection in reversible cerebral ischemia

Background: Neuroprotective agents are needed to reduce cerebral damage during surgical or neurointerventional procedures including stroke patients. Purpose: To evaluate if thiopental can be used as a neuroprotective agent when injected intra-arterially in a transient ischemia model. Material and Methods: In total, 24 rabbits were studied as four groups of six animals. Group 1 served as the control group. In group 2, transient ischemia was obtained by intracarotid administration of degradable starch microspheres (DSM). Group 3 was administered thiopental intra-arterially via the carotid artery. Group 4 (experimental group) received both thiopental and DSM intra-arterially. DSM and thiopental were administered through a microcatheter placed into the common carotid artery via the central ear artery access. After sacrifice, apoptotic cells in the cerebral tissues of the animals were evaluated in H&E and TUNEL stained slides. Results: There was a significant increase in the number of apoptotic glial or neuronal cells in group 2 compared to the control group and group 3. The mean number of both the apoptotic neuronal cells (6.8 ± 2.1 vs. 2.5 ± 1.3, P < 0.001) and the apoptotic glial cells (9.4 ± 3.1 vs. 4.6 ± 1.6, P < 0.001) were higher in group 2 compared to group 4. In addition, a higher level of neurological improvement was observed in group 4 compared to group 2 based on neurological assessment score. Conclusion: The intra-arterial administration of thiopental has a protective effect on both glial and neuronal cells during temporary cerebral ischemia in low doses. © The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2023.