Transient forebrain ischemia of three-minute duration consistently induces severe neuronal damage in field CA1 of the hippocampus in the normothermic gerbil.

We examined the effect of transient forebrain ischemia of 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-min duration on the development of delayed neuronal death in field CA1 of the hippocampus in the gerbil whose brain temperature was maintained at 37 degrees C. Transient ischemia of 3- and 4-min duration caused almost the same maximal damage in field CA1 as observed in the gerbils subjected to 5-min ischemia. A detrimental factor inducing delayed neuronal death in field CA1 may be already set up during the first 3 min after the onset of ischemia in the gerbil whose brain temperature is maintained at normothermic levels.