HYDROGEN SULFIDE METABOLISM PARAMETERS IN THE RAT BRAIN UNDER CONDITIONS OF ACUTE CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA AND PHARMACOLOGICAL CORRECTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/mcch.2410-681X.2026.i2.16262Keywords:
cerebral ischemia; citicoline; hydrogen sulfide; metabolism; brain; rats.Abstract
Introduction. The severe epidemiological situation regarding ischemic strokes is partly due to unresolved issues in pharmacotherapy. The role of the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) system in the mechanisms of action of known neuroprotective agents and the modification of their pharmacological activity remains insufficiently studied. The aim of the study – to evaluate the indices of H2S metabolism in the rat brain under conditions of acute cerebral ischemia and against the background of treatment with citicoline and its combination with H2S metabolic modulators. Research Methods. The study was conducted on 75 adult male rats divided into 5 groups: Group 1 – sham- operated animals; Groups 2–5 – modeled acute cerebral ischemia; Groups 3–5 – treated with citicoline for one week; Groups 4 and 5 – received an H2S donor (sodium hydrosulfide, NaHS) and a synthesis inhibitor (aminooxyacetate, AOA), respectively, in addition to citicoline for 7 days. In the brain homogenate, H2S content, as well as the activity of its synthesis, deposition, and utilization processes, were determined. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS Statistics 17.0 software package. Results and Discussion. Pharmacotherapy of acute cerebral ischemia with citicoline is accompanied by the replenishment of H2S stores, improvement of its sequestration (deposition), enhancement of enzymatic synthesis, and inhibition of oxidative degradation in the rat brain. The applied H2S modulators exert multidirectional effects on the ability of citicoline to correct H2S metabolism during acute cerebrovascular accidents: NaHS potentiates these effects of citicoline, whereas AOA exhibits the opposite effect. Conclusions. The combination of citicoline and NaHS demonstrates the most pronounced corrective effect on H2S metabolism in the rat brain under conditions of acute cerebral ischemia.
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