Use of an adenosine triphosphate-based ‘cocktail’ early in reperfusion substantially improves brain protein synthesis after global ischemia in rats

Abstract

Neurological damage is a serious problem after cardiac arrest and resuscitation. We used a rat cardiac arrest model to test the ability of a post-ischemic infusion of adenosine triphosphate–magnesium chloride (ATP–MgCl 2) to sustain cortical protein synthesis after 7 min global ischemia. We used norepinephrine (NE) to block the vasodilatory action of ATP, and a trace of vanadate to simulate the equine-derived ATP Chaudry used to protect against ischemia or hemorrhage in other organs. Our ATP ‘cocktail’ (3 ml of 4 mg/ml ATP–MgCl 2, 18 μg/ml NE, 2.4 μg/ml vanadate, infused intravenously over 18 min) tripled post-ischemic protein synthesis. ATP without vanadate, and vanadate without ATP, both had lesser but still significant effects. This ATP ‘cocktail’ may be useful as a neuroprotectant after cardiac arrest and resuscitation.