[Effect of baicalin and tetramethylpyrazine on intracranial hypertension of infectious brain edema in rabbits].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of mannitol (MN), baicalin (BC) and tetramethylpyrazine (TMPZ) on intracranial hypertension (ICH) of infectious brain edema induced by Pertussis bacilli (PB) in rabbits.

METHODS

Forty-five rabbits were divided randomly into five groups: the normal saline group (A); the pertussis bacilli group (B); the MN treated group (C); the TMPZ treated group (D) and the BC treated group (E). PB was injected into the left internal carotid artery of rabbits to establish the infectious brain edema model, their intracranial pressure (ICP) was monitored continuously by fiberoptic ICP monitor. Treatments were given intravenously 1 hour after injecting PB, and changes of ICP, brain water content (WC), Evans blue (EB), Na+, K+ and morphology were observed within 4 hours after PB or NS injection.

RESULTS

MN, TMPZ and BC all could reduce the brain edema and ICH in rabbits induced by PB, the effect of MN was the most rapid and obvious one, but it lasted for rather shorter time, while the effect of TMPZ and BC was initiated later but lasted for a longer time. The ICP of Group C in 2nd to 4th hour was higher than that of Group D and Group E, but lower than that of Group B. The ICP of Group E in 3rd to 4th hour was lower than that of group D. At the same time of lowering ICP, brain WC, EB, Na+ contents and pathologic morphologic change were also alleviated.

CONCLUSIONS

Both BC and TMPZ could reduce ICP in infectious brain edema, the effect of BC was better than that of TMPZ.