Effect of nizofenone on experimental head trauma in mice.

The therapeutic effect of nizofenone, a cerebroprotective drug, on experimental traumatic head injury was investigated in mice. The animals under halothane anaesthesia were subjected to a severe concussive head trauma and their neurological status was assessed by a string grip-test for 6 consecutive days. The neurological function of the control groups fell markedly 1 hr after trauma and slowly recovered day by day, but some animals failed to restore to the normal level, even on the 6th day. The post-treatment of the head-injured mice with nizofenone (3 mg/kg/day, i.p.) significantly improved the neurological function. The neurological improvement by nizofenone was dose-dependent and a significant amelioration was observed at 0.3 mg/kg/day. Methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg/day, i.v.) did not exert any significant neurological improvement in this therapeutic, experimental condition. In this study, nizofenone treatment was found to beneficially influence the recovery of the neurological function, maybe by reducing the progress of brain injury following head trauma.