Turkish Neurosurgery 2014 , Vol 24 , Num 6
Beneficial Effects of Moxonidine on Cerebral Vasospasm After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Mustafa Kemal ILIK1, Yalcin KOCAOGULLAR2, Osman KOC3, Hasan ESE4N
1Mevlana University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Konya, Turkey
2Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Konya, Turkey
3Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Konya, Turkey
4Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Konya, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.9371-13.5 AIM: This study was designed to examine the efficacy of moxonidine, a centrally acting antihypertensive agent that is a selective ligand for I1-imidazoline sites, in a rabbit cerebral vasospasm model.

MATERIAL and METHODS: Twenty-four white, male New-Zealand rabbits weighing 2500-3200 gr. were randomly allocated into three groups as group 1= control group, group 2=subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) alone group, and group 3=SAH + moxonidine (treatment) group. Cerebral angiography was performed to all rabbits before (Day=0, basal angiography) and 72 hours after the induction of SAH. Intraperitoneal moxonidine (0.5 mg/kg) treatment was started after the induction of SAH and continued once a day for 72 hours in the treatment group.

RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was determined in basal angiographic luminal diameter of the basilar artery between groups (p>0.005). After SAH, the follow-up angiographic basilar artery luminal diameter significantly changed in treatment group when compared with the SAH alone group (p<0.001). The pathologically examined basilar artery luminal area was different between these groups (p<0.005).

CONCLUSION: Moxonidine treatment as a centrally acting antihypertensive agent was found to be very beneficial in the treatment of vasospasm by increasing the angiographic diameter and the pathologic luminal area and reducing muscular wall thickness. Keywords : Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Cerebral vasospasm, Experimental, Moxonidine, Rabbit

Corresponding author : Mustafa Kemal Ilık, mkilik@gmail.com