Role of platelet-activating factor and thromboxane A(2) in radical production during ischemia and reperfusion of the rat brain

Oxygen radicals produced by activated neutrophils have been involved in brain injury during ischemia-reperfusion. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a candidate as one of the mediators of neutrophil activation during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Recent evidence indicates that PAF-induced neutrophil activation is mediated by thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)). To study the role of PAF and TXA(2) in radical production during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, we evaluated the effects of a PAF antagonist, Y-24180, and a TXA(2) antagonist, S-1452, on radical formation in rats with 1 h middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. In the present study, we employed a new electron spin resonance (ESR) method coupled with brain microdialysis. The method uses the endogenous ascorbyl radical (AR) concentration as a marker of oxygen radicals and requires no spin-trapping agents. Tn the vehicle controls, extracellular AR from the ischemic brain cortex decreased during MCA occlusion. Following reperfusion, AR significantly increased at 30 min and 1 h, returned to near the basal levels at 2 h, and increased again at 24 h after reperfusion. In the rats treated with S-1452 or Y-24180, AR decreased during MCA occlusion to the same extent as in the vehicle control. However, pretreatment with Y-24180 or S-1452 significantly attenuated the increase in extracellular AR after reperfusion, while it exerted no effect on the changes in extracellular ascorbate or tissue pO(2) throughout the experimental period. In conclusion, PAF and TXA(2) might contribute to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by increasing the generation of oxygen radicals.