Effects of long-term recovery from transient cerebral ischemia in rat brain: tissue levels of acetylcholine, monoamines, and their metabolites.

Concentrations of acetylcholine and the monoaminergic neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and their respective metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenylacetic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) and choline were simultaneously determined in the corpus striatum of rats after 15 min. complete cerebral ischemia (CCI) and in different intervals (1, 24, 48, 72, 96 hours) of postischemic cerebral reperfusion. Results were compared to respective sham-operated control animals. After 15 min. CCI acetylcholine concentration decreased to 15%, and dopamine concentration to 56% of the control values. The metabolite levels of DOPAC decreased to 40% and HVA to 64% of the control values. Acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and choline concentrations were not changed significantly after reperfusion. The metabolites HVA and 5-HIAA showed their maximum increases after 1 and 24 hours of reperfusion, additionally HVA was decreased both, after 72 and 96 hours of reperfusion. The data indicate that surprisingly little permanent damage could be caused by a 15 min. ischemia in the striatum. Tissue levels of the neurotransmitters appeared differentially altered but similarly regulated during ischemia and subsequent recirculation. Acetylcholine and dopamine levels decreased profoundly during ischemia. However, acetylcholine levels could be compensated rapidly during reperfusion, whereas the dopaminergic system showed a long-lasting change in its turnover rate. Although serotonin levels were unaffected by CCI, there was an increase of its presumed turnover rate during reperfusion.