Calcium Ion Transients in Peri-Infarct Depolarizations May Deteriorate Ion Homeostasis and Expand Infarction in Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Cats

Abstract

PID is not a common finding in peri-infarct zones in cats, and it is suppressed by the N:-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist MK-801. However, if repeated PIDs are generated, they result in a stepwise, progressive breakdown of neuronal function and ion homeostasis, probably contributing to the growth of infarction in focal cerebral ischemia. Recurrent Ca(2+) influx is a mechanism that presumably contributes to this process.