PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL BASICS OF ACUTE BRAIN ISCHEMIA MODERN PHARMACOTHERAPY. NOOTROPICS AND ANTIOXIDANTS’ ROLE IN NEUROPROTECTION

Abstract

The methodology of brain protection from acute ischemic damage is a primary aim of modern pharmacology. The paper represents a review of modern drugs diminishing brain ischemia subsequences. The most important directions of neuroprotection are determined by cerebral ischemia fundamental pathophysiological mechanisms. An oxidative stress is considered to be one of the keystones among various neural cells death mechanisms, which is caused by an imbalance between pro- and antioxidant organism’ systems, and reactive oxygene species hyperproduction in the insufficient cerebral bloodflow conditions. Therefore the administration of cerebroprotective drugs of nootropic and antioxidant nature preventing free radical processes, decreasing an oxygene brain consumption and increasing brain tolerability to acute hypoxia and ischemia is regarded to be promising and feasible direction of neuroprotection. This paper also summarizes obtained evidences of beneficial effects of endogenously produced antioxidant melatonin in reducing brain ischemic damage. The investigation results indicate the potential importance of melatonin usage for the neuroprotective therapy improvement in cerebral ischemia.

Keywords

• cerebral ischemia
• oxidative stress
• neuroprotection
• nootropics
• melatonin