Ischemic preconditioning decreases intracellular zinc accumulation induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation in gerbil hippocampal CA1 neurons

Abstract In normal gerbils, intracellular zinc ions ([Zn 2+ ] i ) and calcium ions ([Ca 2+ ] i ) accumulate in hippocampal CA1 neurons after global ischemia. We examined whether ischemic preconditioning modifies these changes in gerbil hippocampal slices. In normal slices, large increases in [Zn 2+ ] i and [Ca 2+ ] i were observed in the stratum radiatum of the CA1 area after oxygen-glucose deprivation. In preconditioned slices, there were significantly decreased peak levels of [Zn 2+ ] i and [Ca 2+ ] i in CA1. However, there were no differences in the peak levels of these ions in CA3 and dentate gyrus. These results suggest that modified [Zn 2+ ] i and [Ca 2+ ] i accumulation after an ischemic insult might be important for the mechanisms of ischemic tolerance induced by preconditioning.