Atropine and cerebral ischemic injury in the Mongolian gerbil.

1. Cerebral ischemia of 5 min duration was induced in unanesthetized gerbils by bilateral occlusion of the carotid arteries. 2. The extent of cerebral damage was assessed by the elevation of motor activity in comparison with control animals and by a histological assessment of the extent of neuronal degeneration in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. 3. Atropine, an antagonist of ACh, at either a low (1 mg/kg) or a high (10 mg/kg) dose administered 15 min prior to the ischemic episode, did not confer protection against cerebral ischemic damage. 4. This finding suggests that ACh does not play a critical role in the generation of ischemia reperfusion injury.