ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences 2012 September;56(3):247-53

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Nimodipine can diminish oxidative stress in patients with severe head trauma

Aslan A. ¹, Gurelik M. ², Cemek M. ³, Buyukokuroglu M. E. ⁴, Goksel H. M. ⁵, Eser O. ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey; ² Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey; ³ Biochemistry Division, Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Metallurgy Engineering, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey; ⁴ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey; ⁵ Department of Neurosurgery, Medicabil Private Hospital, Bursa, Turkey

AIM: Antioxidative effect of nimodipine was investigated in patient with severe head trauma.
METHODS: The patients in group A were treated according to the standard procedures without nimodipine. Other patients in group B were treated with standard procedures plus intravenous nimodipine for a week. Three times per day, blood samples were taken from internal jugular venous saturation probe and central venous catheter for a week. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitrite, and nitrate, ascorbic acid, retinol and β-carotene in the serum were measured.
RESULTS: MDA levels in group B were significantly lower than those in the group A (P<0.05). As for GSH levels, it was observed that there was a significant increase in GSH levels in group B when compared to those in group A (P<0.01). Comparison of nitrate and nitrite levels in the serum of patient groups showed that these parameters were significantly higher in group B than those in group A (P<0.01). It was seen that there were a significant increase in ascorbic acid (P<0.01) and β-carotene (P<0.05) levels in group B when compared to those in group A. Values of retinol levels were slightly higher in group B than that of group A, and there was no significant difference between the groups.
CONCLUSION: Severe head trauma may increase oxidative stress. Administration of nimodipine may prevent the oxidative stress and may augment endogenous antioxidative defense systems in patients with severe head trauma.