5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAr) administration reduces cerebral ischemic damage in the Mongolian gerbil.

Cerebral ischemic damage in gerbils was assessed by locomotor activity studies and histopathological examination of the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell layer. Pretreatment with AICAr (50 and 500 mg/kg) 30 min prior to a 5-min ischemic episode in unanesthetized gerbils, significantly attenuated the degree of ischemic neuronal damage as measured by either technique with the 500 mg/kg dose; the 50 mg/kg dose, although showing a trend, was not significant. A potential mechanism for AICAr-induced cerebroprotection may be that it is metabolized to uric acid, a free radical scavenger.