Verapamil: Failure of metabolic amelioration following global forebrain ischemia in the rat

The potential efficacy of the calcium channel blocker verapamil in modifying ischemic brain injury was evaluated in anesthetized rats subjected to 60 or 90 min of diffuse forebrain ischemia produced by bilateral occlusion of the carotid and vertebral arteries. Treated animals received verapamil, 2 mg/kg intravenously, prior to ischemia. Four hours of postischemic recirculation was permitted by reversing the carotid occlusions. Intermittent high-voltage slow-wave activity was noted on electroencephalograms shortly after verapamil infusion, prior to ischemia. The ischemic insult induced an isoelectric EEG, which tended to persist during recirculation in both treated and untreated animals. Similarly, verapamil pretreatment failed to influence brain water content or cerebral energy metabolites (phosphocreatine, ATP, ADP, AMP) or cerebral energy charge when assayed after 4 hours of recirculation. Thus, verapamil failed to confer a protective effect on brain electrical activity, water content, or energy metabolites following ischemia in this model.