[Assessment of the effect of piracetam (Nootrop) on hydrogen clearance in the inner ear].

The animal experiment described in this report was conducted to study the effect of piracetam on the blood flow of the inner ear. Blood flow was measured indirectly by means of hydrogen clearance using the polarographic microanalysis technique. A group of twelve crossbred male and female guinea pigs were given 400 mg/kg body weight piracetam (2 ml/kg body weight of commercial solution for injection) by intravenous injection, and hydrogen clearance was measured before and after administering the study drug at the round window in the scala media at the base of the cochlea. Twelve animals in an control group were given an equal volume of physiological saline instead of the study drug. The H2 clearance measurements were taken before and after intravenous injection of saline. The operation and clearance measurements were performed under injection anaesthesia with 2.5 mg. diazepam and 25 mg. pentobarbital sodium, each per kg body weight. The guinea pigs were premedicated with atropine (0.5 mg./kg. body weight i.p.) and, after tracheotomy, were relaxed with pancuronium bromide (1 mg./kg. body weight i.v.) and respirated with a pneumatic respiration pump and the parameters blood pressure, pH and blood gases (pO2, pCO2) were continuously recorded. The results show that intravenous injection of piracetam in the above mentioned dose accelerates hydrogen clearance processes at the base of the cochlea from 8.68 +/- 3.48 to 5.37 +/- 2.05 minutes half-life. This effect is statistically significant (p less than 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)