Protective effect of chronic ethyl docosahexaenoate administration on brain injury in ischemic gerbils.

There is evidence that the excessive generation of reactive oxygen free radicals contributes to the brain injury associated with cerebral ischemia. In the present study, the protective effect of chronic administration of ethyl docosahexaenoate (E-DHA) against oxidative brain injury was evaluated in the gerbil model of transient cerebral ischemia. Weanling male gerbils were orally pretreated with either E-DHA (200 mg/kg) or vehicle, once a day, for 10 weeks and subjected to bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries for 10 min.