Effect of stobadine on lipid peroxidation and phospholipids in rabbit spinal cord after ischaemia

Abstract Stobadine, a drug with the pyridoindol structure, was compared with thiopental and pentobarbital for its ability to inhibit stimulated peroxidation in homogenates of spinal cord in vitro . The antioxidative capacity of the drug exceeded that of barbiturates more than 100-fold. Stobadine was also shown to inhibit the increase in formation of TBA-RS in homogenates of rabbit spinal cord, subjected to 20 min ischaemia, to the level comparable with controls. Administration of the drug (6 mg kg − ) to animals 5 min before 20 min ischaemia had no effect on level of lipid peroxidation products in the spinal cord; however, it slowed down stimulated Fe 2+ -dependent peroxidation after in vitro incubation of the homogenates and increased the concentration of phosphatidylserine and ethanolamine plasmalogens, as compared with non-treated animals. Application of stobadine 2 min before the release of an aortic occlusion increased the antiradical capacity in homogenates of spinal cord and revealed an ameliorating effect on the composition of phospholipids.