Neuroprotective effect of gamma-glutamylethylamide (theanine) on cerebral infarction in mice.

Nobuaki Egashira, Kazuhide Hayakawa, Kenichi Mishima, Hitomi Kimura, Katsunori Iwasaki, Michihiro Fujiwara

Department of Neuropharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1, Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan.

Neuroscience letters 2004 Jun 3

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In the present study, we examined the neuroprotective effect of gamma-glutamylethylamide (theanine) on the ischemic brain damage in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model in mice. Theanine was injected i.p. 3 h after the occlusion or immediately before and 3 h after the occlusion. Theanine (1 mg/kg) significantly decreased the size of the cerebral infarcts 1 day after the occlusion. In contrast, theanine did not affect the cerebral blood flow, brain temperature and physiological variables (pH, pCO(2), pO(2) and hematocrit) in this model. These results suggest that theanine directly provides neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischemia and may be clinically useful for preventing cerebral infarction.

Citation

Nobuaki Egashira, Kazuhide Hayakawa, Kenichi Mishima, Hitomi Kimura, Katsunori Iwasaki, Michihiro Fujiwara. Neuroprotective effect of gamma-glutamylethylamide (theanine) on cerebral infarction in mice. Neuroscience letters. 2004 Jun 3;363(1):58-61