The surfactant poloxamer-188 protects against glutamate toxicity in the rat brain.

Membrane repair of damaged neurons by surfactant poloxamers has been noted in experimental spinal cord injury and in vitro excitotoxicity. We examined poloxamer-188 (P-188)-mediated neuroprotection in a rat model of glutamate toxicity. Quinolinate was infused into the striatum followed 10 min and 4 h later by P-188 administered either i.v. or intracisternally (i.c.), or by vehicle. Mean neuronal loss examined volumetrically 7 days later in control animals was 50% greater (P < 0.01) than after i.c. P-188 treatment; control lesion volumes were 38% greater than lesion volumes after i.v. P-188 treatment; however, that comparison did not reach significance. This robust protection against glutamate toxicity may predict P-188-mediated neuroprotection against a broad range of clinically relevant neural insults.