[Morphological evaluation of cerebroprotective effect of lanthanum acetate in chronic cerebral ischemia in rats].

The objective of this study was to evaluate morphologically the cerebroprotective effect of lanthanum acetate in chronic cerebral ischemia. Chronic cerebral ischemia was reproduced in Wistar rats, weighing 160-180 g, by a ligation of both common carotid arteries. For corection of ischemic cerebral damage, lanthanum acetate (3 mg/kg of body weight, once a day) was introduced intragastrically during the whole experimental period. Ischemic damage of the cerebral cortex was evaluated morphologically in Nissl stained histological sections. Lanthanum acetate was found to suppress the development of ischemia-induced neuronal damage in cerebral hemispheres: the numbers of hyperchromatic neurons, cells with focal chromatolysis, and ghost cells were reduced, while the number of normochromatic neurons was increased in experimental group as compared to those in controls.